This has become such a common question that is received at the law firm that it has become this week’s blog entry. The scenario is as follows: you get into an accident. It is not your fault. You went to the hospital. The next day, someone from the insurance company of the OTHER car (the one that was at fault) comes to your house. They are very friendly. They want you to take some money in a check but in order to get the money, they want you to sign some papers. What should you do? Please accept this response from the accident lawyer in Boca Raton (injury attorney Miami, accident attorney Miramar, injyry lawyer Pembroke Pines, accident lawyer Coral Springs, injury attorney Boynton Beach).
The easy answer here is that you may want to consider contacting a lawyer to find out what your rights are in the case! And you can call Drucker law offices for a free consultation at (561) 483-9199 or (954)755-2120 or (305) 981-1561.
What are the concerns with accepting the money and signing the paper. The paper they are going to ask you to sign in a release document. The release document will be releasing the other driver and the insurance company from any suit. Thus, if you are injured, you cannot sue them and you cannot recovery more money from them.
One major concern is that a day or two after the accident, and even commmonly a month or two after the accident, you do not necessarily know the extent of your injury. From the insurance company’s perspective, this is usually a winning situation as for some nominal sum, they get the case off their desk and into the “resolved” column for a very small amount. If in fact the person has absolutely no injury, then maybe this is a fair offer from the insurance company. HOwever, often in my experiences, the offers made by the insurance company a day or two after the accident rarely cover the co-pays that a client may have for the medical treatment, let alone money for pain and suffering or for lost wages.
They key part here is that commonly in the DAY or TWO after an accident, you do not know the extent of the injuries and thus it is generally not adviseable to accept their offer and signing the release. They key thing again with the release is that you are signing your case away. If for some reason you have an injury that requires surgery, you could possibly be resolving your case for a very small fraction of what the case is worth. Until you know the exent of your injuries, it is NOT a good idea to accept these settlement offers in the days or weeks following an accident.
If you have been in an accident, call Drucker Law Offices for a free consultation regarding your rights. The firm’s phone number is 561-483-9199; or 954-755-2120; or 305-981-1561.
Every case is unique and should be judged based on the specific facts of the case. The advice in this blog is intended to be general and should not to be construed as specific advice for a case or your case. A minor difference in the facts of the case in a fact pattern such as above could change the result. Also, this blog is, as the web site suggests, based on Florida law and the laws of any other states could vary from Florida.
