Wrongly Accused: Criminal Defense 101

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Considerations Before You Settle Your Accident Case

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When you have been injured by another driver, you might be offered a settlement from their insurer. The check they may promise could seem adequate and even generous. Chances are, however, the check is not enough to cover all your damages.

What Are You Owed?

Victims may not be aware of what they should be paid after an accident. Many insurers waste no time in contacting victims and talking to them about a settlement. This may occur mere days after the accident. That is part of a tactic by insurers to get victims to settle before they understand the gravity of their health situation. The below form of damage may be owed to many victims who never realize it.

Future Medical Needs

After an accident, some injuries are slower to heal than others. For instance, a back injury may take many months to recover from. Some victims need surgery to correct a back injury after an accident. After the surgery, they will probably need physical therapy to help them get back on their feet again.

Once their back injury is better, they may still need to wear an expensive back brace to help them get around. However, they still cannot go back to work because of the pain from their back injury. Victims that accept a settlement too quickly will miss out on the help they need later. The back injury is just an example of the many injuries accident victims face that don't heal on a schedule.

Be Patient

Victims must have the help of a personal injury lawyer to avoid problems with their settlement. A lawyer will ensure that victims reach a certain point in their healing before they consider how much the other driver's insurer owes. That point often follows a special medical examination. When a victim has improved as much as possible, that point in time is known as maximum medical improvement (MMI).

MMI is not to be confused with the end of things. Victims still need medical care and compensation. MMI just means that a victim's state of health is at a point in which future medical needs can be calculated. To do that, many personal injury lawyers get help from medical and economic experts. These experts take into account the victim's previous salary, age, education, and other factors to establish demand.

Demand to be Paid

Your lawyer will let the other side know about your losses and what you expect to be paid. That will include medical treatment, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more. Don't settle for less than you deserve after a devastating accident.

Speak to a personal injury lawyer to find out more.


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