Settle quickly, out of sight, out of mind, pre-medical offers; these are the types of phrases that insurers think of straight away when they hear of a personal injury claim from a claimant who does not have legal representation. Now we would not wish to seem like we are just bad mouthing insurers because of competition reasons as this simply is not the case! We just know from our extensive experience in the area of personal injury claiming that they do unfortunately try and take advantage of claimants who do not understand the proper legal system that is in place.
Unfortunately, insurers also tend to bad mouth us to people with phrases such as “high legal fees” “long court action” and “unnecessary middlemen” – trust us this is not the case.
And the term “middlemen” for lawyers is a joke!
Usually Insurers will make an offer straight away- good times you may think; but these offers in our experience are usually of about £1,000. The important thing to remember is that insurers do not act in your best interests they act with their shareholders interest at heart and if they can settle claims quickly for a small amount it’s not hard to establish who they have in mind when doing so.
Road traffic accidents have a specific legal protocol just for them which involves the claim being properly notified to the insurers, a medical expert examination, a medico-legal report and an appropriate settlement based on this evidence. I understand that sometimes getting money quick is important and therefore the amount they offer may be very tempting (you will notice that around Christmas, for example, Insurers tend to make offers incredibly quickly and really crank up the pressure!) but what is important is that you get the right compensation for your injury as compensation is about getting you in a position you would have been had the accident not occurred.
On average, whiplash claims settled for around £2,500 last year (however, this is, not to say, you would receive this! – everything comes down to your individual medical evidence!) and therefore when you compare this to the offer above it puts everything in to perspective!
Once you have settled your claim in full and final settlement you are no longer able to claim more further down the line If you are still suffering and therefore it is important that although the “quick buck” may seem tempting at first, if your injury progresses and you need time off work or have expensive medical bills to pay, the settlement may not cover and therefore you may end up paying out of your back pocket! Something that the insurers will say you would do if you went with a solicitor.
Here at the Injury Lawyers we have extensive experience in road traffic claims and know the tricks of the trade that insurers use – so before you speak with them always seek independent legal advice and know your rights and the proper way that your claim should be handled. We are available on our online chat facility or alternatively give us a call! We are open 7 days to help you get your claim underway.
