By Mary Campbell

Recently, there has been several reports of auto accidents where pedestrians have suffered bodily harm and even fatal injuries. After being injured as a result of the carelessness and negligence of somebody else, there is likely a basis for a personal injury claim against the driver who caused your crash. Most actions are ordinarily resolved with the auto insurer of the driver who caused the crash. If you bring such a claim, always keep the fact in mind that the opposing insurance company’s primary consideration isn’t you. It’s the job of the adjuster who is assigned to your claim to protect his or her employer’s bottom line. He or she might even receive a bonus for doing so.

You Need a Professional Who Will Protect Your Best Interests
When you retain an experienced and effective personal injury lawyer to pursue compensation for your injuries and damages, they focus on protecting your best interests and pursuing the highest possible settlement that you deserve.

Here are just a couple of reasons why you shouldn’t place your trust in an opposing insurer’s hands after being injured in an accident:

Insurance Adjusters Look for Reasons to Devalue or Deny Your Claim
You might be told that the opposing insurer is acknowledging that its insured person was at fault for the accident. That’s not a promise, and it only goes to liability and not damages. Then, you’re likely to be told that in order to process the claim, the adjuster will need a recorded statement from you. Never give an opposing insurance company any type of statement about how the accident happened or the injuries that you suffered. This information is covered in a police accident report that the insurer already has and the medical records that you’ll be providing. That insurer will only use your own words from your statement against you in the future in an attempt to attack your credibility and devalue your claim or deny it in its entirety. A quality personal injury lawyer isn’t going to allow a statement to be obtained from you. The law doesn’t require it, no matter what the insurer’s representative says.

The Insurer’s First Offer is Only Bait
When an opposing insurer presents the initial offer to you, its adjuster is fishing and trying to see if you’re going to nibble. If you do, they sense the range that you might settle at. Stand on your settlement number, and you’ll see another higher offer. Unfortunately, that adjuster is well aware of the fact that if you file a lawsuit, you likely have no idea of what you’re doing without an attorney. You’ll be taken advantage of in court, and it’s unlikely that a judge will be very sympathetic. Remember, judges are lawyers too. Their patience can quickly wear thin if a self-represented litigant is unprepared and wastes their time. It’s also likely that your judge will allow the insurance company’s defense lawyers to use all of the mistakes that you made against you in court. It’s highly likely that those mistakes wouldn’t have been made had you retained a knowledgeable and reputable personal injury lawyer.

Do your research, and you’ll learn that accident victims who are represented by personal injury lawyers generally receive substantially higher settlements than people who represent themselves, even after legal fees are deducted. If an opposing insurance adjuster tells you that your claim will be closed without a statement from you, let that adjuster close it. Closing it has no legal effect whatsoever. Then, arrange for a consultation and case review with an experienced and respected personal injury lawyer. Ask the Lawyer: call 855-768-8845 or visit www.askthelawyer.us. Hopefully, you didn’t do too much damage to your own case and you’ll be pleased with the final result.

  accidents, insurance