The insurance payout for bodily injuries was on average 3.5 times higher for victims represented by lawyers, compared to those who were not.
Determining who is at fault in car accident is so important because those at fault are responsible for paying, for both their own injuries and the injuries and damages of the other driver, through their insurance coverage. To drive in Missouri, you are required to have liability coverage. It is illegal to drive a car without the minimum liability insurance.
If you are involved in an accident, you will typically have to deal with the insurance company to get your injuries and damages covered. The problem is that insurance companies operate like any other business. Their aim is not to make sure drivers are wholly and fairly compensated, but to limit their liability and paying less to save on their bottom line.
Should You Speak with a Car Accident Attorney?
Therefore, if you make the assumption that the insurance company has your best interests at heart, you may be doing yourself a huge disservice. If you decide to go it alone and deal with the insurance company, you may end up getting less than you are actually entitled to. It is always a good idea to at least speak with an experienced attorney before deciding to accept the insurance companies settlement offer.
Rarely does an auto accident case have to see the inside of a courtroom. Most cases can be settled outside of a court of law during the negotiation and settlement process. The problem is that if you don’t know how to calculate economic and non economic damages – both of which you are entitled to – then how can you be sure that the settlement offer from an insurance company will be enough to cover your losses, both physical and emotional? The reality is that it is difficult for the average person to understand what they will need to move forward.
A experienced car accident attorney will not only know how to calculate what your injuries and damages are worth, they will also have the skills necessary to negotiate with the insurance company. It will rarely be the case that the insurance company won’t initially offer much less than they should and with lots of wiggle room for negotiating. If you don’t understand all of the factors involved, then you are probably not going to get all that you are entitled to or potentially need for your future.
Speak with a Car Accident Attorney 24/7
If you work directly with an insurance company, what they know – and you might not – is that there is always wiggle room to their settlement offer if you know how much your accident is really worth. The best way to get all that you are entitled to is to speak with an experienced attorney. Call The Hoffmann Law Firm, L.L.C. 24/7 at (314) 361-4242.