After a driver injures someone in an auto accident in Milledgeville, GA, that driver’s insurance company may try to avoid paying reasonable compensation to the injured person. The adjusters might look for reasons to put partial blame on the injured person, for example. This can be the case even if the injured person was a pedestrian or a motorcyclist.
The Waiting Game
One tactic might be considered the waiting game. Insurance companies can delay a claim in the hope that the claimant accepts a lower settlement than they want. Injured individuals often need this money because they cannot work for weeks or even months after a serious auto accident in Milledgeville, GA. They start having overdue bills and experience trouble making essential payments like the rent or child support. Accepting a compromise seems better than waiting any longer.
Partial Responsibility
Another strategy might be attempting to hold the injured person partially responsible. For example, the adjuster might find evidence that this individual was distracted while driving or even while walking across the street. Crossing a street without a crosswalk may be cited as irresponsible behavior.
How a Lawyer Can Help
An attorney with a firm such as Edwards & Bullard Law can review the case during a free consultation and determine what the insurer’s settlement offer actually should be. If the difference is large enough to justify hiring a lawyer, the attorney can send a demand letter specifying the more reasonable amount and begin the negotiation process. The individual must take attorney fees into account when making this decision, and attorneys are unlikely to accept a case if the difference is relatively low. Details on this particular organization can be found at Eblawga.com.
Consider a situation in which the insurer has offered $20,000 and the lawyer believes the claimant should receive $38,000. Accident lawyers typically receive one-third of the settlement they obtain for clients; the fee in this case would be $12,540. The client would receive an extra $5,460 above what was originally offered. The client probably will still have to wait a while before negotiations are completed, but the end result will be a positive one.
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