Don’t Settle for Any Settlement

With a California personal injury lawsuit, the defendant has an interest in getting the plaintiff to settle for the least amount. The defendant has an interest in getting the plaintiff to settle the case as soon as possible. The settlement typically involves the victim giving up rights to sue at a later date. This means that once an offer is reached, the plaintiff will only receive the amount that they agree upon. Any damages that occur at a later date will not be covered under a settlement. Thus, if you think there will be future damages, a quick settlement may not be the best approach even if the plaintiff is out of cash.

Given the current economic state, there are thousands of people that struggle to pay their bills and provide for their family. When a personal injury occurs, the damages can be disastrous and in many instances, the victim may be forced to take time off from work. If you are living day to day and need to work every single day, it can be a challenging endeavor to overcome the financial losses associated with a personal injury accident. Further, if the injury causes the victim a permanent disability, this can financially devastate the victim.

When many people think about personal injury cases, they often think that the only compensation available is for medical bills, property damage, and pain and suffering. While these are the main types of recovery, a California personal injury attorney will help you recover loss of job as well as loss of wages. The average household income ranges from state to state but hovers from $36,000 to $69,000. Further, if you own a home and are the breadwinner of the family, cutting your income out of the household income can be extremely difficult.

When you are attempting to settle your California personal injury case, be aware of the tactics that insurance companies use to get you to settle. Insurance companies have a very strong reputation of failing to include loss of income/wages into the total compensation package. The insurance companies may include a few days of income but they often fail to include the time lost for follow up doctor visits, any future hospital visits, any physical therapy appointments, or any potential future loss of wages. Further, you may want to consider the costs of entering a new occupation if you are no longer able to return to your current occupation. All of the above costs should be considered and included in any settlement reached with an insurance company. However, if you attempt to reach a quick settlement, the insurance company may want to take advantage of you and they may fail to include all of the lost wages that you are entitled to.

An experienced California personal injury attorney will explore all of your options and negotiate with the insurance company to ensure that you can recover the maximum amount. If you are considering a settlement from an insurance company, you should speak with a California personal injury attorney as soon as possible to make sure that you are not conned into a bad settlement by the insurance company. Remember- the insurance company is a for profit company and they have an incentive to give you the least amount of money possible.