What to Do If You’ve Been an Accident and the Insurance Company Offers You a Check Right Away?

It is just another day on the road driving to work when, in an instant, your life is altered. Your automobile lingers on the side of the road badly damaged. Thankfully, you made it out safe, but the status of your car is a whole other issue.

Naturally, when an insurance company offers you a car accident settlement check right away to cover the damages to your car as a result of the accident, it’s tempting to accept the money and sometimes it is a fair offer.

However, when car insurance companies immediately offer a check, they are usually trying to cover their losses in the hopes you take less than what you deserve. Sometimes, even if they are offering you a fair amount on the property damage portion of your claim, they will try to make you sign a release for any possible injuries you may have suffered to your body when they offer to pay for damage to your vehicle. Because of this, it makes a lot of sense to consider your options before signing the papers and accepting the money. A free consultation with auto accident lawyers like Greenberg & Stein is a good option to explore before signing any papers.

Insurance Companies & Auto Accidents

After an accident occurs (assuming both parties had car insurance), the next step is to find out who is at fault. Car insurance companies spend time investigating each accident and determining if they owe any money to the other party. Often, insurance companies will send you a check without honestly appraising the damages just in the hopes that it will keep you quiet and make the issue go away. They also may make this offer before you are fully aware of the full extent of any injury you might have.

So, if you receive a check in the mail right away from the other car insurance provider, you do not want to cash the check immediately. Why? Once the car accident settlement check is cashed you have more or less accepted the terms the insurance provider has offered. And that may include personal injuries even though you believe it only refers to the property damage to your car.

As a result, your opportunity to receive fair and adequate compensation has just gone out the window. It is extremely important to know that after an auto accident, you do not have to accept any amount of money the insurance company decides to throw at you. If you feel like you deserve more, you have a right to make a claim in order to be treated fairly and receive fair and adequate compensation.

Dealing with Auto Insurance Adjusters

You would think a company that advertises their role of helping people out in their darkest times on TV, and is paid a premium to do so, would not try to stiff accident victims. Unfortunately, auto insurance companies, like most businesses, frequently try to limit their losses. Even though you faithfully adhere to paying your monthly premium, most insurance providers are not nearly as generous in return.

Insurance providers use adjusters to settle auto accident claims. Adjusters are given a certain dollar range that they can use to quickly attempt and settle the claim. There is little doubt that more often than not, an adjuster will attempt to low-ball the damages.

Why? Settling for less than you deserve is good business for the insurance company since they don’t have to pay as much for claims.

As a result, you should never cash a check right away and blindly assume the adjuster and liable insurance company has your best interest at heart. More often than not, they are attempting to undercut what you deserve. If you hire a personal injury attorney to handle all interactions with the insurance company, you will be protecting yourself since most personal injury attorneys are all too familiar with the tactics of insurance companies and their adjusters and can fight to get you the compensation you deserve.

How to Deal with Auto Insurance Companies After an Accident

After an accident, the first hope is that you and the other passengers are okay. If you feel pain or are worried you’ve been injured, seek medical attention right away. If, after you’ve been checked by a medical professional and you have suffered personal injuries as a result of the accident, you are entitled to no-fault benefits to cover medical expenses, missed work, and other incidental damages like transportation. You also may be entitled to damages for pain, suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, as well as provable future lost earnings and medical expenses. Additionally, your personal property that was damaged (generally the car) also deserves fair compensation to cover repairs or buy a new car.

Car Accident Settlement Check – Do Not Accept & Get Legal Help!

Auto insurance companies are renowned for treating a claim with professional representation far different from someone who is going at it alone. Legal help improves the odds of you receiving a favorable outcome.

You can reach out to a personal injury lawyer at Greenberg & Stein for a free consultation. There is no commitment and you can determine after meeting with us if you wish to continue with legal representation. Call (212) 969-8795 or visit www.greenbergandstein.comto set up an appointment.