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Accident victims typically have one shot to get fair compensation following an accident. Whoever hurt you is unlikely to willingly offer up a large sum of money. Nevertheless, there are steps you can take to increase the settlement you take home. The personal injury lawyer at Khan Law Firm offers the following six tips based on our decades of experience.
Get Prompt Medical Treatment
The last thing you want to do is have the defendant blame you for making your injuries worse. For this reason, head to the hospital soon after the accident. And remember to take medication and receive any rehab recommended by your doctor. These steps show you are serious about your recovery and are not worsening your condition.
Keep Your Medical Bills & Paystubs
Medical expenses and lost income are damages in personal injury cases. By hanging onto this paperwork, you can prove with certainty how much you lost.
Document Your Pain and Suffering
Our clients can receive money to make up for certain losses that are not financial in nature. Pain, suffering, inconvenience, distress—whatever you want to call it, you can receive money as compensation.
Of course, it’s hard to convince someone you are experiencing pain or other distress. We recommend asking family members if they can testify about how your injuries have impacted your life. You might also keep a diary in which you record how you are feeling day to day.
Never Accept the First Settlement Offer
You can expect an insurer to make a lowball first offer. Although you might be tempted to grab it, the better option is to say you will “consider” it before counteroffering for a more realistic sum.
Rejecting an offer can be difficult. You might be earning no income and really need some money. But as part of any settlement, you will release the defendant from further liability. This is why we say you have “one shot” to get a fair settlement. If you agree to too little, you won’t be getting any more.
Be Careful of What You Tell the Insurance Adjusters
Washington law recognizes contributory fault. You can easily lose out on money if you admit to being partially responsible for your accident. Did you slip and fall in a grocery store? If you admit you were looking at your phone before slipping on a puddle, the store could claim you are to blame.
Under Washington law, a victim’s compensation is reduced proportionally by their degree of fault. For this reason, it’s best to have an attorney by your side during the entire claims process. We can help you carefully answer all questions and collect helpful evidence to show how an accident happened.
Hire the Best Washington Personal Injury Lawyer
Khan Law Firm knows how to squeeze money from insurance companies. With us by your side, you’ll submit a solid claim for compensation, and we can negotiate aggressively to force an insurer to offer more money. Contact us today if you have questions or want to learn more about our services. We offer a free consultation.
