Insurance companies rarely make their best settlement offer after a New Jersey car accident. Thus, it is in one’s best interest to view the first offer that they receive from an insurance company as exactly that. An accident victim does not have to accept the opening settlement offer. Instead, they have the freedom to try to negotiate a better offer.
The best thing to do before dealing with the insurance company is to compile the damages suffered in the accident. This includes the value of the car along with things such as medical bills and pain and suffering. Being informed before the negotiation begins is the best way to understand how far off the insurance company’s offer is.
After the insurance company makes its first offer, the most likely outcome is that it will be rejected. The claimant should make their own formal request for a settlement amount by sending a formal demand letter to the insurance company outlining their own claim. This may be the basis for continued negotiations with the insurance company. Most claims take some back-and-forth and several counterproposals in order to reach a settlement agreement.
Because it’s not always easy to get money from an insurance company, those who have been injured in an accident should consider hiring a personal injury attorney to help them deal with the insurance company. It is difficult for an individual to handle a negotiation because they are at an information disadvantage. The attorney may have a better a sense of what a claim is worth to know whether the insurance company’s settlement offer is a reasonable one that can be accepted.