Car accidents place victims in a precarious position. They may be hurt and suffering from the physical pain of the injuries, and at the same time they are often trying to cope with the financial aspects of the accident. That is probably why settling accident cases has become the preferential way to bring things to a conclusion. Read on to find more about negotiating to get what you deserve after an accident.

First Move: Speak to a Lawyer

For most people, understanding how to cope with the at-fault driver's insurer is a frustrating experience. Many don't have a firm grasp of what they deserve to be paid or how to get it. That is why it's so important to hand your case over to a personal injury lawyer who understands the inner workings of accident cases and can negotiate on your behalf. It's vital that accident victims not sign away their rights by agreeing to a settlement before they speak to their lawyer.

How Much Are You Owed?

Once you provide your lawyer with your accident paperwork and medical treatment records, you might want to know how much money you can be paid. In many cases, that question is answered by considering several factors like these below:

  • Fault – The other driver should be 100% at fault to gain adequate and quick compensation through a settlement.
  • Injuries – Your treatment costs have a huge impact on how much money you are paid. More serious injuries incur higher charges and that can equate to a big pain and suffering award.
  • Damages – This term refers to all the ways the accident has impacted a victim and this category is usually coverage of things like lost wages and personal property loss or damages.

Your attorney will calculate what you deserve to be paid by multiplying your medical costs by a certain factor and then adding up all the other damages. Then, room for negotiation is built-in by adding an additional sum to the demand.

The Settlement Process

Once your lawyer lets the other side know you have legal representation, and what you expect to be paid because of the accident, the negotiations can begin. The other side may counter the initial demand with a counter-offer and things may go back and forth like that for a time. In most cases, your lawyer has a bottom line to abide by. For accident victims, negotiating a personal injury settlement can be stressful and intimidating. For your personal injury lawyer, though, it's what they do every day and just part of what makes them good at getting you what you deserve.

Speak to a personal injury attorney, like Labine Law Firm, to learn more about accident settlements.

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