Being in an accident is an overwhelming and stressful experience, and this is not an event that anyone can fully prepare for. Once it happens, there are so many things that are going through your mind. Getting the appropriate treatment, finding a way to restore your possessions if they were affected by the accident, getting compensated. These are the major things that must be taken care of after an accident, and all of them come with some complications.
How To Get A Proper Compensation After An Accident
This article is here to help you make this process at least a bit easier and less complicated. Not that many people are all that well versed in the process of getting compensated after an accident. Knowing about what steps to take and how as early as possible will be a game-changer in regard to getting the best possible outcome. Here, you will find the most useful tips that will help you do that and get the compensation that you deserve after you have been in an accident.
Set a specific settlement amount for your sake
At the beginning of the process of getting compensated, it is important for you to evaluate the situation before you start doing anything else. Assess all the damage regarding important aspects relevant to your accident. So, include your physical and mental health, property damage, but also the possible time that you’ll have to stay at home and hence away from work. All the parameters that affect both your finances and your well-being should be taken into consideration. Understanding these parameters will help you to gain an understanding of the range of what your claim is worth.
It should be noted that the value you calculate isn’t necessarily the value that you will get. But, having a good idea about the range will help you negotiate better and not settle for a ridiculously low offer. If you want a more precise estimate of what amount of money you can count on, it would be best to discuss this with an experienced lawyer. The team of attorneys from a personal injury law firm in Jonesborough explains how you can always get a free consultation before hiring. Hence, you have nothing to lose, and professionals are able to draw from their experience and help you prepare better.
First offers are oftentimes not the best offers
A common mistake when it comes to settlement negotiation is for people to jump at the first offer. This should be avoided, as in most cases, the first offer that you get is not representative of how much you deserve. In fact, have in mind that it’s pretty much standard practice for negotiations to start with a very low offer.
If the offer is reasonable, but still on the lower side, you should negotiate a bit more. In that case, opt for making a counteroffer that’s a little lower than in your initial demand letter. This will show that you’re not only reasonable but know what you’re doing. It will significantly boost the chance of getting a fair final settlement amount.
Got a low offer? Ask for justification!
Sometimes, the offer you get is so low that it’s practically ridiculous. In those cases, you shouldn’t immediately make a lower counteroffer as explained in the previous section. The reason for this is the fact that such offers serve nothing more than for the adjuster to see whether you know what your claim is really worth.
That being said, what you should do instead is to write a letter in which you demand justification for the offer. Once you get the response, review all the factors that they gave as their reasoning. Answer in such a manner that you touch on these factors and rationalize the reasons why your settlement offer should indeed be higher. Don’t be combative in the letter, just emphasize the facts – the adjuster will understand that facts must be taken into consideration. After all this, you should expect to receive a more reasonable offer than the initial one.
Emotional points in your claim should be emphasized
This doesn’t mean that your demand letter should be constructed as a motivational letter. Rather, it means that your letter should emphasize all the points that have an intrinsic emotional impact. In practice, such points can be of different sorts, so, let’s see some examples. The most common one is an impactful picture that clearly depicts the damage done to your vehicle, hence implying the severity of the situation. Similarly, if the accident has impacted your ability to take care of your child, this should definitely be a point that you make. The same goes for any mental health issues that were directly caused by the accident such as anxiety, depression, or PTSD.
Finally, when it comes to the aftermath of an accident, everyone’s journey is different. So, don’t be too hard on yourself if things aren’t going exactly how you planned at the pace that you’d prefer. Be mindful of your mental and physical health, as it is the absolute essence of energy that you have to put into everything else. Things will get better, and this accident isn’t going to dictate your life, so stay strong.
Focus on all the details and tips that you’ve read about here, consult with people with similar experiences, and proper compensation will follow!