Lakewood Car Accident Victims: What You Can Claim That the Insurance Company Won’t Tell You
After a Southern California car accident, you should never take advice from the other party’s insurance company—but many victims still do. The other party’s insurance adjuster may give you a low offer amount and explain why your offer is as low as it is. However, you could actually be entitled to far more compensation. You just need to be ready to fight for it. The car accident lawyers at the Law Offices of Robin D. Perry & Associates can help.
For years, our car accident law firm has advocated aggressively for clients throughout California. We know how insurance companies work to deprive victims of full and fair compensation, and more importantly, we know how to fight back. Call us at 562-216-2944 to learn more about your options now.
What They Do Tell You
If you talk to the other party’s insurance company, they won’t leave you completely in the dark—they may tell you some of what you are entitled to after a car accident. They will likely ask about your injuries and any bills you’ve already received, as medical costs are one of the most common types of compensation awarded after a car crash. They may also tell you that you can receive compensation for any property damage caused by the collision, including repairs to your vehicle or the cost of repairing a totaled vehicle. If you’re lucky and you get an insurance adjuster who isn’t actively trying to mislead you, they may even ask if you’ve had to take any days off of work to deal with the fallout of the collision.
Beyond that, you’re on your own when it comes to finding out what types of compensation you can receive after a collision. That’s why it’s so important to talk to a car accident attorney right away.
What You Could Actually Be Entitled To
The types of compensation we already discussed are a good starting point, but they are far from everything you should fight for after a crash. Remember, you’ve been injured and inconvenienced because of someone else’s mistake. You may even be facing permanent injuries that will change your life forever. You should not be left handling the financial losses of this situation on your own.
First, you may want to look into future medical expenses. If you have a fairly straightforward injury that is expected to heal completely (or already has), you don’t need to worry about this. But if you’ll never make a full recovery from a catastrophic injury and you may require care in the future, you should absolutely find out how much that care will cost in the years to come.
If your ability to work is impacted, that’s another topic to discuss with your car accident law firm. Having to cut down to part-time hours or limit your upward growth is hard enough, but when you look at how it affects your earnings over the course of your life, you could lose out on hundreds of thousands of dollars. Again, you didn’t cause this, and the person who did should be held accountable.
Pain and suffering is another topic that is likely to come up in your negotiations. It’s true that no amount of money will erase the pain you feel or give you back the time you’ve lost to recovery, but it can at least give you the tools you need to plan for your future. Of course, this includes physical pain, but do not forget to consider the effect this accident has had on your mental and emotional health as well. Your car accident attorney can explain how pain and suffering is calculated.
How Settling Early Can Mean Sacrificing Compensation
The reality is that you’re likely to give up money if you settle immediately after a car accident. Until you’ve received medical care, you just don’t know how your injuries will affect you long-term. By connecting with a lawyer right away and getting a better picture of your long-term needs, you can figure out what types of compensation you should be demanding from the other party.
Start Your Claim With Robin D. Perry & Associates Now
If you’re ready to discuss your claim with our car accident law firm, let’s sit down and talk about your next steps. Call us at 562-216-2944 or reach out online to schedule a consultation with our Lakewood lawyers.
Attorney Robin D. Perry has been part of the Long Beach Community for over 25 years handling business litigation, employment litigation and advising, criminal defense, personal injury and code enforcement defense for businesses.
