If you have had a car accident in Florida, you are probably wondering what kind of settlement your insurance company will offer you and whether you should take the money and get it over with or fight to get everything you deserve. Insurance companies have teams of lawyers whose job it is to make sure they payout as little money as possible. You want to make sure that you are not taken advantage of. Even though it is tempting to take the money they offer you, you may be entitled to more, and you may end up regretting not fighting for what you deserve in the long run. There are a few things to take into consideration when an insurance company offers you a settlement.
What Kind of Financial Cost Were Incurred?
If you are an any kind of car accident, you are sure to incur cost for damages to your vehicle. If you have had an accident with injuries, you will have medical bills as well. As Florida is a no fault state, you must go to your insurance company and file a claim no matter who is responsible for the accident. Drivers in Florida are required to carry $10,000 worth of insurance for personal injuries and $10,000 for damages to property.
If the cost of the accident is under $10,000, you will have to negotiate a settlement with your own insurance company. You will have to prove to them how much your accident costs and they may not be willing to pay for everything that they should. They might try to offer you compensated for your doctor’s appointments and the cost of medication, but nothing else. Be sure to save all your receipts related to the accident. Remember, damages can include time off of work , the cost of child or elderly care you incurred while visiting the doctor and the cost of transportation.
If either the cost of damage to your vehicle or your medical bills is greater than the amount of money you are insured for, and the other driver was at fault, you can sue the other driver for personal damages.
Was the Other Driver Insured?
If the at fault driver in your car accident was not insured, you may want to think about weather or not they are worth suing. A lack of insurance is not always a sign of a lack of money, but you may want to find out if they are working and what kind of assets they have. If they have no money, it may not be worth your time to sue them personally.
Choosing the Right Attorney
If you decide to sue, you are going to need the very best Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyer. The personal injury specialist at Friedland & Associates can help you get compensated for your injury. They know how insurance companies operate and they will use every legal resource available to make sure you don’t settle for less than you deserve.
