An insurance settlement refers to a settlement agreement that is reached between the injured person and the at-fault party’s insurance company.
A person should understand the nature and extent of the injuries they sustained, the course of treatment that previously occurred, and the possibility of any future treatment for injuries sustained as a result of the accident. They should also understand any prior lost wages, potential future lost wages, and loss of earning capacity before considering a settlement with the at-fault party’s insurance company.
A DC insurance lawyer can draw upon their knowledge and experience in handling claims in DC and ultimately advise the injured person based on the facts and circumstances of the individual loss so that the injured person receives the maximum recovery available.
Whether a claim does or does not settle depends on a number of benefits and other factors. The benefit of reaching a settlement with an insurance company is that the parties agree upon a specific figure by which the injured person is compensated for their injuries. In DC, if a settlement cannot be reached, it is up to a judge or jury to determine the amount of compensation the injured person should receive.
Additionally, settlements typically occur prior to the initiation of litigation. Settlements can take some significant amount of time, based upon the nature and extent of the injuries and the treatment required; however, settlements are resolved more quickly than trials.
One of the detriments of settling a claim in DC is that the injured person gives up their rights to a trial. With any trial, there is a possibility that the injured person could receive more or less than the settlement amount. It is entirely up to the jury to determine the amount appropriate to compensate the injured person for their injuries.
When planning to settle an insurance claim, which is demand for payment initiated with an insurance company, it is important for a person to retain the services of an attorney to assist in negotiating the settlement of the claim.
An attorney can draw upon his or her experience handling similar claims in the past to process the claim in the best interest of the injured person. An injured person can find an attorney through any means they feel is appropriate, which could be asking a family member or friend for a referral, searching through various board associations, and doing general Internet searches as a person would look for any other service industry.
The attorney plays a pivotal role in processing an insurance settlement. The attorney draws on his or her knowledge and experience handling similar claims, and processes the claim in the best interest of the injured person to maximize their recovery. The attorney wants to collect as much information as possible to best work through the claim, so the injured person should bring all information available when meeting with their attorney. Generally, the attorney negotiates with the at-fault party’s insurance company to obtain compensation for the injured person, but a person should work with the attorney in discussing the claim and any other factors important to process the claim. They should also be clear with their attorney about what they think is the appropriate amount of compensation.
An experienced attorney can ultimately provide an injured person with the best representation possible in order to achieve the largest amount of compensation possible to try to ease the frustrations of settling with an insurance company, allowing the injured person to focus on their road to recovery.
