So, you might have heard of friends/family who say “I had my claim settled at £1000.00 in a month” or something along these lines. The chances are that this is an early settlement offer they have accepted which we call a “pre med” offer, and although it seems like a quick and easy option, there are a number of risks when accepting pre meds which means it is not always a beneficial thing to do.
To explain what I mean by a “pre-med” – this is the term for an offer made without the use of expert medical evidence. I.e. “pre-medical”. Insurers tend to use these tactical offers at the outset of claims following an admission of liability to get claims settled as cheaply as possible, and off their desks as quickly as possible for them.
In the run up to Christmas, the amount of pre-medical offers we receive significantly increases as the insurers play on the needs of people to have more money over the Christmas period for presents and festivities. Pre med offers are generally around the region of £1000.00 – £2000.00. Without expert medical evidence, it is simply impossible to place an accurate valuation on your injuries.
For example, if you are still suffering with your injuries, who knows how long you could be suffering, whether it be excruciating pain or the odd twinges here and there – you do not know how long this will last, or whether there will be any long term affects, or what treatment you may require, and the cost of the same further down the line.
As a result, you could potentially hugely under settle your claim if you accept a pre-med early on.
In addition, when medical evidence is obtained, an expert will also comment upon factors other than your injuries; for example loss of amenity, the effect the injuries have had on your day-to-day life, which may also be an indication for us to look into other areas of your case which you may be compensated for. For a few examples – time off work, resulting in lost earnings; extra care round the home provided by friends/family; and/or loss of gym membership – all of which can be reclaimed in addition to your injury payout.
My advice is always to leave a pre medical offer well alone on the table and obtain expert medical evidence prior to looking to settle your claim. Obviously there is no guarantee the Defendant’s will not retract their pre-med offer; however, you should be very cautious about these types of offers, and bear in mind the above factors when considering pre-med offers.
Like I said before; there is simply no way to accurately value your claim without medical evidence. It’s all guesswork and estimates when it comes to pre-medical offers.
Insurers occasionally try and get in there before you seek representation through solicitors and dangle the carrot in front of your nose by using sneaky pre meds to try and lure you into settling your case without proper investigation – be extremely careful and seek professional independent advice if this ever happens. The amount of times we get calls from people who have already settled directly with the other side with a pre-med offer and ended up vastly under settling their claim is both unfair for them, and disheartening for us; because we could have got them much, much more money…
