Saturday, August 28, 2010

How Insurance Claims Work in Personal Injury Cases

By Debbie Roche
Unfortunately, automobile accidents are just another part of life that we must face. With millions of people driving on roads every day the chances of getting involved in some kind of accident are almost inevitable. Some of these accidents involve injuries and that is where things get a little more complicated.

When people file a claim with their insurance carrier the assumption is that the bill will be paid because of the long standing history between the insurance company and the customer. Even though this is a very personal event for the customer, it is still a business transaction in the eyes of the insurance carrier. An insurance carrier operates like any other business. The goal is to increase revenues while at the same time controlling or reducing its costs. This means that any time a claim is reported the insurance company will look at it as a negotiation. They feel that reducing or even eliminating the amount of the claim is in their best interest.

How an attorney can help

A Boston personal injury lawyer can be of great assistance in this process. An experienced attorney can look at your claim and determine the true value. This is important in deciding whether or not to accept a settlement offer from an insurance company.

There are some instances in which an injury has long sustaining costs. Multiple doctor visits, various tests, and possible surgeries can stretch out over months and maybe years. There are some instances where an insurance company will make an offer that seems great at the time. However, the offer is usually made within a few weeks of the accident. At this point there may still be more costs to come and the offer might not cover all the future costs. Your attorney may review the offer in the light of the injury and advise that you wait before settling.

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