Accident Injuries Can Have Lasting Effects - Get Compensated For Your Losses
Ask any experienced injury attorney about accident injuries, and they will tell you that many victims encounter severe pain, suffering, expenses and have long lasting effects from their injuries. The end of an injury trial is only the beginning for some persons who suffer injuries due to someone else’s negligent behavior.
Expenses and Benefits
The unknown potential for ongoing expenses due to a need for long-term medical care is one reason why persons who seek compensation for their injuries need to speak only with an experienced personal injury accident attorney. This is especially true in the state of Florida, where recently passed laws tend to favor the insurance companies by reducing benefits for the injured plaintiffs.
Hidden Problems
Your injury attorney understands the vast amount of problems that accident victims encounter after an accident. For example, initial fees will be high for emergency treatment, surgeries and hospitalization. Some injuries will result in temporary or permanent disability, thus reducing income and a return to work. Severe cases may result in a total change of lifestyle and an inability to return to work at all. Many times, the biggest problems occur long after the actual date of an accident. Hidden injuries may not be immediately diagnosed or treated. An injured person may require additional surgeries or rehabilitation to complete their recovery. Without a fair settlement or award, the injured party continues to bear the brunt of medical treatment costs.
Settlement Offers
When an insurance company makes their offer of a settlement, it is very important to hold off signing any papers until your lawyer looks over the offer. You may want to have your attorney conduct additional negotiations until a fair settlement offer is made by those insurance companies. Remember, the insurance agent wants to protect the company that hired them to keep costs and payouts to a minimum. Only your lawyer will look out for your best financial interests. It is not acceptable to say “yes” to an insufficient offer. A lump sum may look nice at first glance, but once you consider possible long-term or hidden effects that may only surface in later years, that amount could easily be way too little.
Here’s one case example: a person was injured during the course of their normal work duties and went on workers' compensation and continued to be unable to work. The employer and insurance companies only offered a settlement of $30,000, with no future insurance coverage. This offer was wisely declined, because the injury involved the spine, and the potential for future medical care or surgery was very real. This amount would be totally insufficient. Attorneys reached a fair settlement after additional negotiations brought out more facts of this case.
Accident Attorneys Can Help
Your injury attorney can bring in expert witnesses who are able to estimate potential expenses and work loss estimates, so a reasonable settlement can be awarded. About 90 percent of personal injury cases are settled through negotiations prior to any courtroom appearance. There are many reasons for this, mostly involving costs to both parties. An injury trial award from a jury could be very costly to a defendant, especially if maliciousness was partly a cause of the accident. Accident injuries can have lasting effects; be sure your settlement award will be large enough to be able to cover any future accident related expenses.