Car accident claims are rarely ever paid out for the total face value of the claim. If a claim is filed, insurance companies and responsible parties will try to dispute the amount of damages or medical bills incurred as a result of the accident. Therefore, it is important that you, too, possess negotiating skills.
Request More Money than You Need
Insurance companies will rarely every print a check for the exact amount requested. In fact, most companies will send private adjusters to inspect the accident or require that the claimant visit an auto body shop with which they have a prior agreement. Additionally, if a claim requests funds for physical injury, it is not unusual for insurers to require visits to particular physicians they specifically hire.
All of this is geared towards disputing the amount of money you request for your claim. Therefore, it is important to ask for more money than you need because you will not receive that amount. This does not mean to request hundreds of thousands of dollars more than the actual value of your claim, but to increase the amount of your claim by five percent or so. This leaves you with negotiating room and makes it more likely that you will receive all of the money you need to make yourself whole.
Only Talk with One Person
Many insurance companies permit multiple adjusters and customer service representatives to deal with a single claim. This means that a claimant could talk to as many as ten people during the processing of his claim. This is not only frustrating, but also requires you to repeat the facts of your case with every new representative. Negotiations do not proceed well when more parties are involved; in fact, the more parties involved in the claim’s processing, the more complex it becomes. Therefore, ask for the name of the person you first speak to and continue to request to speak with that person during any further contact.
Respond in Writing
If you receive an offer for settlement from an insurance company that is much too low, deny the offer and counteroffer with a number acceptable to you. All of this should occur in writing so that there is documentation of the negotiations should no settlement be reached and litigation ensues. However, do not counteroffer with the lowest off you will accept, but instead lower the amount of your demand by one or two percentage points. This will leave you with wiggle room in case the company rejects your offer.
Seek Legal Help
Attorneys receive extensive training and have experience in the art of negotiating. Hiring an attorney can mean that you will receive a larger settlement, but always means that your claim will cause you significantly less stress than if you handled it without legal assistance.
