Nowadays receiving a ‘pre-med’ offer in respect of compensation for your injuries is common. What I mean by a ‘pre-med’ offer is a pre-medical offer – i.e. an offer made to you by the Defendant without medical evidence having been sought.
The normal procedure in the claims process is to obtain medical evidence after the Defendant has admitted liability. Medical evidence is important because it allows your injuries to be properly diagnosed and detailed so you can find out how long a medical expert believes you will be suffering for. The general rule is that the more severe and long lasting your injury is, the more it is worth. Naturally, having a medical report allows your claim to be properly valued by confirming this.
Why do Defendant’s make pre-med offers?
If you accept a pre-med offer, your claim is settled. There is no going back for more compensation later. If the Defendant can get you to accept a pre-med offer they will in all likelihood save money. For instance, they won’t have to pay for your medical report and they won’t have to pay the costs associated with settling your claim at a later stage. Furthermore, if they can get you to settle your claim without medical evidence, they will probably be able to settle it cheaper. This is because without medical evidence you do not know exactly how much your claim is worth. Your injuries might be worth £1,500 but you have settled your claim for £1,000.00.
Things to consider before you accept a pre-med offer
A pre-med offer is purposely tempting. You can get the money at an early stage in your claim and you don’t have any more ‘hassle’ or have to wait any longer. But accepting a pre-med offer is not always the right thing for you to do.
Here’s why:
- Your injuries may be ongoing; accepting an offer now means you cannot go back and ask for more compensation if you are still suffering a few months or a year down the line
- If you are having physiotherapy, accepting a pre-med offer could leave you paying for this once your claim is settled. Settling your claim once you have finished your course of physiotherapy allows you to potentially recover these costs.
- Without medical evidence you do not know the true extent of your pain and suffering from a medically diagnosed perspective; settling your claim without medical evidence may mean you under-settle your claim. Is it worth waiting a few more months for a lot more money?
Final thoughts on pre-med offers…
Defendants do not make pre-med offers out of the kindness of their heart – they make them to save money. Yes, the pre-med offer may be a good one, and yes you may want to put the whole saga behind you – that’s fine – but you should know when your pain and suffering will stop so that you do not under-settle your claim. Once your claim is settled, that’s it.
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