Steps to Respond to a Low Settlement Offer Stay calm and analyze your offer. Like everything in life, it's never a good idea to respond emotionally after receiving a low offer. After a serious car accident, most victims struggle to get their lives back on track, and many people often feel pressured to accept a low settlement offer, just so they can move on with their lives. But if an insurance company offers you much less than you deserve, the end result is that you won't be able to financially cope with the aftermath of your accident.
So how do you respond to a low settlement offer? When an insurance company offers a low settlement, it's important to first understand why. It could be a simple settlement offer because the insurance adjuster doesn't have all the relevant bills and medical records that support your claim. To find out if the adjuster is missing something, simply call the adjuster and ask what he considered when submitting his settlement offer. If the offer is based on an incomplete picture of your claim, provide any missing bills and medical records and ask the adjuster to re-evaluate the claim.
Don't take a low offer personally. Review the offer and start writing your rejection letter. You must answer every reason the adjuster has given for the low offer. An experienced car accident settlement attorney will provide you with legal advice on factors that may influence your options and choices.
When you add the emotional trauma of car accident injuries to these economic costs, a low settlement offer for your personal injury claim from the at-fault party's insurance company seems nothing more than an insult. By “speaking the language of settlement negotiations” and protecting you from the tricks and tactics of defense and insurance lawyers, the lawyer evens the playing field between you and the insurance company, which in turn increases your chances of receiving the money you deserve.
