The Process for Recovering Insurance Benefits | How a Personal Injury Lawsuit Proceeds
After any type of personal injury, when you are unable to work or need extensive medical care, you want to know exactly what to expect throughout the claims process. What do you need to do to get the benefits to which you are entitled under a health or automobile insurance policy? How long can you expect the claims process to take? Should you settle or go to court? Here are some of the things you need to know.
It’s Best to Have a Lawyer Help You Get Full Benefits from an Insurer
In the immediate aftermath of an injury, your insurance agent will typically be extremely proactive and you may even get a settlement offer within a short period of time. In most instances, you don’t want to take it. Insurance companies are for-profit entities with an obligation to maximize value to shareholders. They do that by paying as little as possible to settle a claim. An early settlement offer is most likely far less than your policy should provide. An attorney can help ensure that you get a fair payout.
Although you may want your insurance settlement as soon as possible, it’s in your best interests to be patient. As a general rule, though, with the help of a lawyer, you should be able to get a fair insurance settlement within three months.
Should You Settle or Go to Court?
According to a study conducted by the Pew Research Center, about 2% of all personal injury lawsuits make it to trial. The likelihood is overwhelming that you will work out a settlement at some point. The amount of time that will take can vary, based on a number of factors:
- The evidence in your case—The greater the evidence against a defendant, the more willing the defendant will be to make an early settlement offer
- The potential liability of the defendant—If the potential damages are substantial, you can expect the defendant to take more time to come to the bargaining table
- The extent to which your case may be newsworthy—Even when your injuries are not catastrophic, if the actions of the defendant were particularly heinous and may create a lot of bad press, there can be motivation to make an early settlement offer
Let Attorney Michael De La Paz Help You Throughout the Claims Process
At the Law Office of Michael R. De La Paz, we have more than 26 years of experience protecting the rights of personal injury victims in Harlingen, McAllen, Brownsville and Houston, across Texas and nationwide. We have a comprehensive understanding of the challenges involved in recovering full and fair compensation when you suffered disfigurement or scarring because of someone else’s wrongful act. We will use our considerable experience, skill, knowledge and resources to help you get the outcome you want. Free call, text or chat, 24 hours a day, seven days a week–https://delapazlaw.com/.
Handling Accident Cases Nationwide, Including, But Not Limited to Texas, Florida, New Mexico, Illinois and Oklahoma
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