Should I Accept the Insurance Company’s First Settlement Offer?

Answer:

In our practice here in Mississippi, very regularly, a high percentage of the calls we get from potential clients on personal injury cases involve a client asking whether they should accept the first offer that an insurance company has made in their claim, since they’ve been, for instance, in a car wreck or some other type of injury and they know they have a claim. They’ve talked with the insurance company involved, and there’s an offer on the table. They then call to ask us if they should take that offer from the insurance company. The simple answer is that I would advise you to not accept any offer from any insurance company without at least consulting with an attorney first. The reason for that is, if you speak with and consult with an attorney who regularly handles personal injury claims and has experience and some level of success in handling those claims, they’re going to have a much better sense of what the value of that claim is than a person who doesn’t do that every day.

You’re really selling yourself short if you don’t speak with an attorney who does this on a regular basis. Here’s the thing. Most attorneys, like our firm here, who do these cases on a regular basis, will tell you, if it’s a fair offer, to take it. If it’s not a fair offer, and they believe they can add value to that claim for you, then they can consult with you and walk you down a path to get your fair value. You have nothing to lose by contacting that attorney. Just make sure that you’re contacting trial attorneys who handle personal injury cases on a regular basis and who have experience in these cases and some success.I believe that most firms, like ourselves included, can look at your case and see if the offer is a fair offer. Most of the time, that first offer never ever is fair because the insurance companies expect you to negotiate back and forth with them. If you have an attorney involved, they know that there’s going to be some negotiation involved. Usually that first offer— especially if you do not have a lawyer representing you,— is an offer and an attempt to just buy the claim for cheap. What they’re looking to do is wave a little money in front of you and pay a fraction of what that claim is worth in order to get it off their books and save them money by not paying full value.Don’t just accept the first offer that you’re given. Talk with an experienced trial lawyer who handles personal injury claims and is going to deal with you fairly. I know, certainly, myself and my firm do. If we can’t get more, we’ll tell you that and advise you to take that offer. If there’s value to be had and you’re not being treated fairly, then we can consult with you and advise you, and then walk you down a path to get you what you deserve on your claim.I hope this is helpful. I’m Brad Morris, with the Brad Morris Law Firm, and if you have a personal injury claim that you believe we could help you with, we offer free consultations and we’re here to answer your questions.