Injured In A Bike Or Pedestrian Auto Accident? Do Not Handle The Claim On Your Own
In today’s do-it-yourself age, it’s tempting to handle matters on your own without having to reach out to expensive professionals.
Whether it’s learning to play an instrument, complete a car repair or even negotiate a settlement for an insurance claim — many believe that everything can be done with a quick Google search or a glance at a couple of instructional YouTube videos.
However, when it comes to your livelihood, negotiating with an insurance company should never be done without a professional — regardless of the amount of research your have done. Here’s why.
Top Two Reasons Why Negotiating With Insurance Companies Without A Lawyer Is Not Advised
1. Insurance companies offer lowball settlements
Insurance companies are not in business to pay out claims. And when they do, they aim to pay out as little as possible. Many will offer lowball settlements, particularly to laypersons who do not have a thorough knowledge of the law or an attorney by their side to negotiate on their behalf.
In many cases, individuals accept these settlement offers, often believing that the amount is high when in fact more could’ve likely been obtained with the help of a lawyer.
2. Insurance companies may claim “comparative negligence”
When it comes to bicycle or pedestrian auto accidents, it’s common for insurance companies to claim contributory negligence — and justify paying out very low settlement amounts.
In a nutshell, contributory negligence means that if an injured party contributed to the incident, he or she is only allowed to recover the percentage of damages that the defendant was responsible for.
Some carriers will say that the pedestrian or biker should’ve been following the rules of the road and, because they weren’t, they are entitled to a lesser amount in damages.
What An Attorney Can Do For You
Attorneys know the law the tactics insurance companies often use to avoid paying out rightful claims — and insurance companies know they know this.
It’s a whole different ball game when an insurance carrier is negotiating with a legal representative, particularly one with extensive experience and a successful track record.
Michael D. Weinreb: Over 30 Years Of Experience, Multimillion-Dollar Recoveries
Attorney Michael D. Weinreb has been handling these and many other types of personal injury cases for over 30 years. He has recovered tens of millions of dollars for clients in Northridge and all throughout the state of California. He has negotiated with many different insurance companies and has litigated many cases at trial and won.
If you have been injured in a bicycle or pedestrian accident, don’t handle the case on your own. With the help of a lawyer, you’re likely to recover more in the long run, even after attorney fees.
Call 818-886-6300 today. Free consults.