In the aftermath of an accident, not only do you need ample compensation, but you may need it fast to meet all the medical bills coming your way. As much as you may need to file a personal injury claim, you may be afraid of it lingering on for months, even years, before you ever see a result.
You may be motivated to accept a quick settlement. And usually it is possible to get a fast settlement if you will accept a lower offer. Is the saved time worth losing out on full compensation? It depends. Before you go for the quick money, here are some things to consider.
First, it is important to understand why your claim could be taking so long. It could be that there are technical and legal issues slowing things down, or maybe facts that need more time to get sorted out. These can complicate necessary steps in the process, such as figuring out who is at fault, and how much damages the plaintiff sustained.
For example, if you are filing an injury claim based off of a defective product, then you could face problems determining who is at fault. Those are complex types of cases. That is because while you may be able to prove that you were injured, the tricky part is showing that the defendant caused those injuries through negligence.
Another reason for a slow case could be that the defendant is waiting until you have completed your medical treatment and recovered as much as you can, which is the point of maximum medical improvement. At that point, defendants would know exactly how much your medical bills have cost you. This delay can in fact help you to collect more in compensation.
Or your case may simply be a huge one to tackle. If you are asking for a great deal in compensation, you cannot expect an insurer to pay up until they have thoroughly gone over your case. They will want to ensure that do not have a defense and that your claim is accurate before they give out payment. In fact, in these types of cases, insurance may purposefully try to wait in order to get the plaintiff to give into a lesser settlement because they are hard pressed for the money.
The only way to speed up these scenarios is to accept a fraction of the compensation you need and deserve. But do time concerns outweigh your concerns for getting the full amount you are owed? It is a tough call, and there will be a different answer for each situation. In some cases, you may be able to settle for 35 percent of the compensation you could get in a trial, or you might get low-balled with an offer of five percent of the potential compensation. But sometimes, it is worth it to save yourself the stress and uncertainties of a trial.
When you need legal counsel on whether or not it is best to settle in your personal injury case, contact the Whitley Law Firm, and an experienced Raleigh personal injury lawyer may be able to help you achieve an optimal outcome.
