Is there a minimum personal injury settlement amount?

You have been injured in an accident, and you are wondering if it is worth it to file an insurance claim. You are afraid that if you do, your insurance will go up. These fears are not completely unfounded. There is no minimum settlement amount for personal injury claims in California. Therefore, if you have an accident in the Golden State, your insurance premium may increase by an average of 63%. This is the highest rate of increase in the country.

Although there may not be a legally set minimum for an insurance settlement, an insurance policy should cover your accident-related injuries and damages to your car. If your injuries were due to the fault of another person, the insurance company should cover your bills up to the amount for which the other person was covered. If they try to lowball you or deny your claim, you should contact an attorney before accepting their decision.

Benefits of Hiring an Attorney

An insurance company is sure to be staffed with a team of lawyers whose ultimate goal is to keep their money in-house. A trained injury lawyer will be well versed in negotiating with insurance companies. However, you are unlikely to have as many years of experience as an attorney will in arguing the legal points of a case.

A law firm will be alerted to changes to the law that affect personal injury cases. They will know how much you should receive for intangible damages such as pain and suffering and loss of time with family. In the unlikely event that your case goes to court, an attorney can subpoena records for you if they are necessary to prove your case.

If you are worried about the cost of an attorney, you should know that most personal injury lawyers work on a contingency basis. Therefore, you will only pay them if they are able to get money for you.

How to Ensure You Get the Most Money Possible

One way to ensure that you get a fair settlement when you have an accident is to collect all the evidence you possibly can. You should also follow the proper post-collision protocol.

When you have an accident, call the police and wait for them to arrive. Be sure to get the names and telephone numbers of any witnesses that may have seen the collision. Take pictures if you can, and ask for a copy of the accident report.

You should save a copy of every medical bill that you get and ask your doctor to write you a report detailing your injuries and your progress. In addition, save copies of the receipts for medical-related expenses such as prescription drugs and any help you may have needed around the house.

Ask your employer to write a letter stating the number of hours you have missed from work and the amount of money you have lost in wages. If you are self-employed, you will need a copy of your last year’s tax returns.

You should contact the insurance company and provide them with all the necessary paperwork as soon as you possibly can. The more evidence you provide them with, the less likely they will be to make you a paltry offer.

Getting compensation for an accident can be almost as important as getting medical treatment. Severe injuries are not only painful; they can be economically devastating. Read more about car accident settlement here.

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