According to statistics, many car accident plaintiffs prefer mutual negotiation for settlement instead of going to trial in order to save time, effort and expenses. The best way to make sure that you receive a satisfactory settlement for your car accident compensation claim is to send a demand letter, which will mention details of your case, for presenting the case in the most professional way.
In this write-up, you will get some useful tips on successful settlement of your car accident claim.
Demand Letter
By issuing a demand letter, you (the plaintiff) detail the facts of the accident and your medical treatment, thereby creating a situation for settlement negotiations to start as early as possible. This letter is of great importance as it gives you the best chance to present your case to the insurance company in the most convincing way.
A well-documented demand letter will narrate the events in a chronological order. It will recite each and every minor detail about the accident, your injury, physical pain, mental stress and treatment. It will also have a clear mention of your medical tests, medical expenses and lost income.
Usually, the plaintiff asks for a sum of compensation considerably higher than what is perceived as a reasonable amount by the injured party. It allows both you and your car accident attorney in Spokane to decide the next moves for negotiations.
Negotiations after a Primary Offer
The insurer will thoroughly review the demand letter and documents provided with it. The insurance company will propose an offer for claim settlement. Expect to receive a ballpark figure as an initial offer. Remember that you mentioned a sum much more than what you can be satisfied with? The insurance company will play the same game by offering an amount less than what they have decided to pay. Therefore, you should resist the temptation to jump at the first offer coming from their end.
Your lawyer will likely to write a letter in response to the first offer from the insurance company, making it clear that the plaintiff will not accept the sum. In this letter, the attorney will clearly mention the reasons for declining the offer. For example, the lawyer may point out to the fact that the initial offer covers only a part of your medical expenses or does not consider your pain and suffering.
Your response letter should have a polite but vigorous tone to remind the issuance company about the key points of your demand letter. Your response letter should mention a counter-demand. Negotiations via letters are likely to go on for some time.
Involvement of a Third Party
If negotiations stop, it will give both the parties a chance to involve a neutral party for settlement. Usually, an attorney with valuable experience in trying and settling personal injury cases plays the role of a professional mediator.
The mediator usually judges the case from a different perspective. The person is likely to point out both strengths and weaknesses of the case. An experienced mediator can successfully close the gaps between the two parties and help them reach an amicable solution.
