Show Me The Money: Why You Got A Low Ball Offer

Getting injured due to the negligence of others is so frustrating. In addition to dealing with being hurt, you also have to put up a fight for damages from the insurance company of the negligent party. You will need to contact a personal injury lawyer file a claim so that you can recoup the losses you incurred because of the injury. However, it is not uncommon to get a low ball offer at first. The following are some reasons why you may experience this with your claim:

The Business of Making Money

Like any other for-profit company, an insurance agency is in the business of making as much money as possible. While most insurers are going to provide some form of settlement, they are going to do so in the least expensive way so that it does not negatively affect their bottom line. The primary goal of insurance agencies is to provide you with some money while still providing a pleasing experience for its shareholders. They then hope that you will accept the offer with no push back.

As the injured party, you need to fully understand your rights and what you are allowed to do in this situation. If you get a low ball offer for your claim, you can request a higher offer. If this does not work to your satisfaction, you should call your attorney to maximize your claim.

 Too Much Information

If you are injured by another person, that person's insurer is going to likely make contact with you pretty quickly after the incident. When the insurer contacts you, you need to avoid going into any type of detail about the incident, your injuries, and any discussion about your damages.

What this can do is inadvertently lock yourself into a low-ball offer. The insurance agent may ask you a number of questions about the incident, and you may feel it necessary to answer. After all, this is a standard practice, right?

There are many problems that can stem from giving away too much information too quickly. You may not even know the full extent of your injuries when contact is made. You likely have not had any estimates of physical damage to property. Therefore, you will not be able to provide complete detail about your losses. However, the insurance company will base your offer on the information you provide. You may then receive an offer that ends up being much lower than what is needed after discovering all of your losses.