Is It Wise To Rush To Settle My Personal Injury Claim?

If you happen to be injured in a car accident in California and need to make a personal injury claim, be sure to consult with a car accident attorney in California to make sure that the claim is filed at the right time. Do not rush to settle your personal injury claim. Timing is crucial when filing a claim for your personal injury settlement because you could stand to get a lesser settlement if you make a claim either too soon or too late.

Insurance Adjusters will try to get you to settle your claim as soon as possible

Remember, insurance companies are for profit organizations whose sole purpose is to make as much money as possible for their shareholders. Every dollar that an insurance company saves by holding back on your claim is a full dollar profit for the insurance company. Therefore the insurance adjuster's primary responsibility is to make money for his company by holding back every last penny that he/she possibly can from your claim. Insurance adjusters are aware that the full extent of your injuries may not be known early on, especially in the event that it is a serious car crash. As such, they may try to get you to settle your personal injury claim as soon as possible in an effort to save their company money. In my book The Seven Mistakes That Can Wreck Your Personal Injury Claim, you can find several interesting cases and advice regarding the right timing for settling a claim.

Don't rush because you may think that you are at fault

People often rush to settle their claim because they are willing to accept any payment simply because they think that they were actually the ones at fault. However, it is important in this case, to consult with a California accident injury lawyer and patiently determine, through various investigations, tests and re-enactments, whose is really at fault for the car accident. It often turns out that a victim could have received a larger amount in their settlement by simply being patient waiting out the investigation process.

Waiting too long can result in a lower personal injury settlement

There is also something called that "Statute of limitations" which is basically the expiration date for your personal injury claim. If you wait too long to file your claim, the statute of limitations may expire and you may not get any settlement from the insurance company regardless of the extent of your injuries. In many cases, adjusters will start stalling and playing hardball if the statute of limitations is approaching in another effort to save money for their company.

Don't risk your future for quick cash

Remember once you have accepted payment on your personal injury claim, there is no way to renegotiate the settlement regardless of any lasting injuries or any injury that may have taken a turn for the worse. In some cases people end up settling for a few thousand dollars for their injury because it is a simple back pain when they actually deserve millions because the injury has manifested into a debilitating and incapacitating injury over the years. So please do not risk your family's future in your haste you receive some immediate cash. The insurance company employs and trains very shrewd professionals and negotiators to withhold as money from you as possible. As such, you should do the same and talk to a personal injury lawyer in California to help determine the best time to file your personal injury claim.

If you want to learn more about how you can handle your own car accident claim, feel free to visit our "Do It Yourself Car Accident Claim" page.

Be on the Hit-and-Run Lookout

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BISNAR | CHASE 2006-2010 Super Lawyers names outstanding lawyers from more than 60 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. BISNAR | CHASE has received this award for five consecutive years. Brian Chase was named one of the 2010 Top 50 Orange County Lawyers.