I got in a car accident and the lawyer of the person who hit me wanted to settle my case for 6800?
Saturday, September 20th, 2008 at
2:16 am
Tofu asked:
Is this a normal amount for someone who has a 7% permanant injury to my lower back? My lawyer says no. Is this a normal first offer and what can I really expect?
Is this a normal amount for someone who has a 7% permanant injury to my lower back? My lawyer says no. Is this a normal first offer and what can I really expect?
Tagged with: Accident Lawyer • Car Accident • Permanant
Filed under: car accident lawyer
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You are paying your lawyer for advice.. listen to him – he does this for a living.
First offers are just that.. High side requests. Besides, is it your money or your insurance company’s? They will step in if the amounts are excessive.
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that don’t sound right at all ,have your lawyer talk them on this one,it should be worth more than that ,plus doctor visits and expenses ,im sure they will add up to be more than that ,and if you lost any work from this that has to be considered also,good luck.
It could be if a chiro gave you that assessment and not a medical doctor. It varies from state to state whether or not chiro ratings are acceptable. You did not provide nearly enough info. Where did this accident occur? Do you have any outstanding medicals/wages etc. What exactly was your injury? How long did you treat? Any priors?
Why not ask your attorney what the case value is? There is no such thing as a normal first offer. Each case is different.
Never accept a first offer! they’re seeing if you’re a bunny. what does this cover? remember your lawyer is going to get about a third of the settlement, + he’ll separately negotiate a fee for himself on top of that from the other party. You will, I presume, havevehicledamages, injury pain suffering some early onset arthritis perhaps, disability to some degree, and perhaps loss of earnings and enjoyment of life. The long term is more important than the short term, this could work out to be a crippling injury later on. I advise wait at least 3 yrs from the accident for the injury to show how it may pan out before any settlement is made. If you can stand it, wait 5.
7% permanent injury? Boy, are they low-balling you. The calculation is complex, and takes more than an insurance company to determine an appropriate amount. It depends on your line of work, how much you make, how old you are, your expected lifetime earnings, what effect this injury has on your ability to earn, etc. Many doctors, actuaries, lawyers, etc. will need to be involved to determine a fair settlement.
The key thing here is: DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING WITHOUT YOUR LAWYER’S BLESSING!!!!!!