Manassas, VA Personal Injury Lawyer Deals with Insurance Company Tricks
Many people who have been in a car accident make the mistake of trying to negotiate with insurance companies themselves. However, insurance companies are well-known for trying to trick accident victims into accepting inadequate settlement offers, which means more money in their pockets, and less in yours. Don't make this mistake: contact Fairfax, Virginia car accident attorney Michael N. Driscoll to help you deal with the insurance companies and get the compensation you deserve. Insurance companies generally have three strategies they use to hoodwink car accident victims.
The Low Initial Settlement Offer
Usually, an adjustor will contact you within hours of the accident with an offer to pay for your medical bills. The adjustor will often offer you a lump sum payment if you sign a waiver saying that you will forgo your right to seek further damages through the Virginia courts. It is vital that you speak to your lawyer before accepting any offer or signing papers. Initial settlement amounts are consistently low, and with over 20 years of working with Virginia personal injury victims, he has found he can almost always secure a better deal for you.
The Recorded Statement Requirement
Oftentimes, an insurance adjustor or lawyer will approach you with a request for a recorded statement. The objective here is to get you on the record about your injuries. That way, if you later report an additional or more serious condition, they have documentation they will use against you to show otherwise. It important that you know you are not required to give an adjuster a statement, and you should never give a statement without an experienced personal injury attorney at your side.
The "Disappearing" Settlement Offer
Insurance adjustors and attorneys will often claim that their offer must be accepted immediately or it will disappear. This tactic is designed to scare you into taking their low offer without contacting a personal injury lawyer. At the Northern Virginia office of Michael N. Driscoll, he has found that if an insurer is willing to make a settlement offer, it will usually be good until the suit is settled.
