An injured person is looking for a fair and reasonable settlement relating to the injury they sustained due to the negligence of others. However, many injury victims are often frustrated by low settlement offers and prolonged delays in the resolution of their case. While cases that must go to trial to obtain justice can linger for five years or more, we’ve had client’s whose case happened two years ago complain that the process is long and they just want the whole thin over with. A lot of people who are injured feel they are treated unfairly by the at-fault party’s insurance company and cannot understand why they are being offered such low-ball offers to settle their case at an early stage. This frustration is very common among people hurt in NYC auto accidents, slip and falls, premises liability matters, and other types on negligence cases in Manhattan and the greater NYC area.
Injuries could include:
With so many drivers on NYC’s roadways, insurance adjusters see thousands of claims cross their desk every year. Making your claim be more than a number is the key to getting your case settled fairly or pushing them to trial if need be.
If you never get into an NYC car wreck, consider yourself very fortunate. If you are in a Manhattan car crash and are hurt, then you will likely have the unpleasant experience of trying to pay for your medical bills, additional transportation expenses, lost wages, and many other costs associated with an accident that was not your fault. In auto accident cases in NY, however, your medical bills will be paid by your own insurance which is known as “no-fault” coverage. Unfortunately, even though the law provides a way for you to have all these expenses paid for by the person or entity who caused your injury, the chances you’ll see a check coming your way for the pain and suffering you endured in a quick and jiffy manner are remote. The reason insurance companies tend to offer small amounts to settle claims is because they can; plain and simple. Insurance companies then to prey on injured victims knowing that an accident has caused them financial strain and that some people will jump at a low-ball offer to get some quick, badly needed cash, even if the proposed settlement is not a fair one.
What Do You Do if You Are Offered a Low-Ball Injury Settlement Offer?
Because insurance companies see millions of claims, they have an immediate knee-jerk reaction that your case does not need to be not reviewed in great detail. They think, just another lawsuit. Additionally, since insurance companies keep significant data that show the settlement values of similar cases, and because many individuals don’t retain a NYC Personal Injury Lawyer to protect them, the settlement values they look to are often very low. That is, once you hire a personal injury lawyer the value of your case rises in the eyes of the insurance company, as a skilled lawyer knows what a case like yours will likely settle for, or will typically be valued at if tried before a jury on the County your case is venued in.
If you were hurt and want to know what the value of your case is, the best thing you can do is talk with a Manhattan personal injury lawyer. A personal injury attorney who practices injury law in New York City will be able to compare your case to similar case values given all of the circumstances of your particular case. No two cases are ever the same, however.
Making Your Case Stand Out From the Other Cases
At the end of the day, the difference between a fair settlement and an unfair settlement is the attention given to your matter by the insurance company, and the exposure they think they have given their insured’s liability and the limits of the insurance policy.
How to Choose an Injury Attorney
Before you sign a Retainer Agreement with an attorney, consider that your attorney will be an individual that you will likely be communicating with on a regular basis for several years or even more, depending on the nature of your injury. Are you talking to a lawyer, or a salesman? Is the person you’ve been dealing with the same individual you’ll be talking to in the future? Is the law firm you’re considering a law firm that has significant experience in personal injury cases, or do they take just any kind of case?
If you have suffered severe personal injuries in Manhattan or NYC due to the fault of another, we would be proud to represent you. Contact Michael J. Redenburg, Esq, PC today!