Settlement negotiations with an insurance company

[Tater]

Does anyone here have experience with it?
I was in an accident last February and the other drivers insurance company made me an offer. The other drivers was totally at fault and admitted it. I got an Xray that showed a cracked rib, and had 9 chiropractor visits as well for back issues. My truck took 5+ weeks to repair, my car rental insurance ran out and I had to pay for two weeks of the rental. After covering the doctor bills, they are offering me $3500.
Besides the pain, inconvenience and $ I paid out, the entire thing was a big pain in the ass. I would like to negotiate for more and told them I'm considering getting a lawyer, but for this amount it's not worth it.

Anyone go through something like this before?

 

[AussieBear]

that sucks... guess it depends on the % legal representation would receive. Im sure they could manage more than 3500 even if its just to pad their pockets. I dont have first hand experience though...

get a free consultation... maybe they can get at least 10k for pain and suffering minus 15-20% of course

 

[KittiesKorner]

Why isn't your insurance company offering to subrogate for you?


-- tapatalkin'!

 

[fatbeard]

Talk to a lawyer, even if it's just for a half hour or an hour. They'll be able to tell you the average payout for a similar case as yours, and you can negotiate based on that. It will almost certainly be worth your while. My wife was in an accident several years ago, and was offered 2k for her case. We talked to a lawyer friend, who advised that the insurance would pay out 6k before considering contesting it. We countered with that and they acquiesced.

 

[Ares]

Let me bring fisch to speak with them Tater.... in 20 mins they will be buying you a new fucking house.

 

[Monster]

Tell them you will take the 3.5K and free full auto coverage for life.

 

[brett05]

remember that once you accept their offer no matter how much your body may hurt later you are on the hook for it all.

 

[DC]

 

[Tater]

Thanks guys. My back is totally trashed now anyways from osteoporosis so I probably wouldn't have more pain after a settlement. It's been over a year too.
@fatbeard: ny idea what a lawyer would charge for a 1/2 hour or so conversation?

 

[Nail Polish]

Does anyone here have experience with it?
I was in an accident last February and the other drivers insurance company made me an offer. The other drivers was totally at fault and admitted it. I got an Xray that showed a cracked rib, and had 9 chiropractor visits as well for back issues. My truck took 5+ weeks to repair, my car rental insurance ran out and I had to pay for two weeks of the rental. After covering the doctor bills, they are offering me $3500.
Besides the pain, inconvenience and $ I paid out, the entire thing was a big pain in the ass. I would like to negotiate for more and told them I'm considering getting a lawyer, but for this amount it's not worth it.

Anyone go through something like this before?

triple the $3500...and dont budge..They will balk at first, but eventually give in

 

[NCChiFan]

Thanks guys. My back is totally trashed now anyways from osteoporosis so I probably wouldn't have more pain after a settlement. It's been over a year too.
@fatbeard: ny idea what a lawyer would charge for a 1/2 hour or so conversation?

They should not charge you a dime for the initial visit. They get their money if they win, if they consider your case winnable.

Edit: My wife had a mal practice suit, sat in an attorney office for an hour. Outcome was to sue only 1 of the two doctors and not the one my wife wanted to go after, she's an RN. So we dropped it. Never a charge.

 

[brett05]

Thanks guys. My back is totally trashed now anyways from osteoporosis so I probably wouldn't have more pain after a settlement. It's been over a year too.
@fatbeard: ny idea what a lawyer would charge for a 1/2 hour or so conversation?

Do you have something at work like compsych? Basically gets you a 30-60 min worth of free lawyer time.

 

[Tater]

Do you have something at work like compsych? Basically gets you a 30-60 min worth of free lawyer time.

No, nothing like that here.

 

[truthbedamned]

Does anyone here have experience with it?
I was in an accident last February and the other drivers insurance company made me an offer. The other drivers was totally at fault and admitted it. I got an Xray that showed a cracked rib, and had 9 chiropractor visits as well for back issues. My truck took 5+ weeks to repair, my car rental insurance ran out and I had to pay for two weeks of the rental. After covering the doctor bills, they are offering me $3500.
Besides the pain, inconvenience and $ I paid out, the entire thing was a big pain in the ass. I would like to negotiate for more and told them I'm considering getting a lawyer, but for this amount it's not worth it.

Anyone go through something like this before?

NO TATER

I was rearended in my company vehicle by a woman talking on her cell phone. Do not under any circumstances accept 3500 dollars. My passenger received 100,000.00 dollars and I got 75,000.00 dollars. Find a lawyer. Do not settle under any circumstances. It took 4 years but was worth the wait. Trust me if they are trying to get you to settle they are worried.

Lawyer will take this at no charge. He gets 33 percent if you settle....40 percent if you go to arbitration.

Also.....statute of limitations runs out in 2 years.

IM me. I can help you through the process. Be ready for doctors visits, depositions, and lawyers though

 

[Mitchapalooza]

100k and 75k? damn, get TBD's lawyer lol

 

[airtime143]

IM me. I can help you through the process. Be ready for doctors visits, depositions, and lawyers though

Beyond that, if you do go for a court or arbitration fight, be prepared to watch your ass and modify your behavior for the duration of the negotiations.

Story time-
My neighbor had a work injury. He was on a job site, and another employee was directed to take a truck to the job site. The truck he was directed to take had failed IDOT inspections and had been tagged pending repair- yet the owner knowingly sent it out.
As a result, the truck rolled while parked (the reason it had failed... slips in to gear at idle).
Neighbor was struck by the truck, and had multiple achillies surgery as a result.
The damage was clear.
The fault was clear.
The boss accepted responsibility and did not fight an iota, paid his fines, and gave my neighbor a ton of extra personal days to bridge the gap in income with LTD.


As crystal clear as that situation was, the insurance co fought him tooth and nail. Several times he was sent dvds in the mail of him walking around his yard, walking at the store, and suggesting his injury was fake. The video surveilance happened in the open in public, and from various vantage points while at home- I chased one of the asshats off my easement and called the cops on them when they tried to film from my yard.

Bottom line, If you do fight them for more, they will invest resources in to building a case showing you DO NOT have long lasting effects. If you can live a limited lifestyle, within the limitations of what your injury will allow, go get paid.
If you live an active lifestyle and do not want to compromise, that will make the fight contentious.

When you fight an insurance company, they will fight back with the shittiest tactics you can imagine- so the payday needs to be worth modifying your life.

 

[Tater]

Thanks airtime. The accident was last year and a lot has changed since then. Long story, but I have extreme osteoporosis (bone density of a 95 year old woman), fractures throughout my back and they told me my spine is collapsing. One vertebrae lost 60% of it's height and two are down by 30%. They thought it was cancer first, then hormonal, and after a surgery, 6 different doctors don't have a clue as to what's causing it. I've had every test in the book done, it's been a bad year.

Anyways, the pain from the accident ended around the middle of last year and all of the above happen from December until recently. Sorry for the long post.

 

[Ares]

Thanks airtime. The accident was last year and a lot has changed since then. Long story, but I have extreme osteoporosis (bone density of a 95 year old woman), fractures throughout my back and they told me my spine is collapsing. One vertebrae lost 60% of it's height and two are down by 30%. They thought it was cancer first, then hormonal, and after a surgery, 6 different doctors don't have a clue as to what's causing it. I've had every test in the book done, it's been a bad year.

Anyways, the pain from the accident ended around the middle of last year and all of the above happen from December until recently. Sorry for the long post.
I guess my point is that I don't have permanent damage from the accident so I guess that wouldn't be part of a settlement.

Urblock.... get ur nuclear powered exoskeleton ready.... we got u Tater

 

[truthbedamned]

Thanks airtime. The accident was last year and a lot has changed since then. Long story, but I have extreme osteoporosis (bone density of a 95 year old woman), fractures throughout my back and they told me my spine is collapsing. One vertebrae lost 60% of it's height and two are down by 30%. They thought it was cancer first, then hormonal, and after a surgery, 6 different doctors don't have a clue as to what's causing it. I've had every test in the book done, it's been a bad year.

Anyways, the pain from the accident ended around the middle of last year and all of the above happen from December until recently. Sorry for the long post.
I guess my point is that I don't have permanent damage from the accident so I guess that wouldn't be part of a settlement.

I suggest you delete your thread and then I will delete mine. And yes....I am serious. Stop saying the bolded section and yes airtime is correct. Insurance companies are not in the business to help and protect you no matter what they say.

 

[theOHIOSTATE!]

3500, are you on crack.

Talk to a lawyer.

I might consider 20K, 3500 is piss in the wind for a serious accident. THEY'RE LOWBALLING YOU BRO.