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Tips To Get A Fair Car Accident Settlement Offer

Dealing with a car accident is extremely stressful, especially if you have been injured in the wreck. There are few things more frustrating than dealing with insurance companies. Injured car accident victims deserve full and fair compensation, and insurance companies can make the process of acquiring rightfully entitled compensation a major headache. If you are dealing with an insurance company after a car accident injury, there are couple of things you should keep in mind in order to help yourself get a fair car accident settlement offer. Also, it is almost always in your best interest to speak to an experienced Illinois car accident attorney.

 

Act Quickly

 

The state of Illinois has a statute of limitations, which requires that any car accident claims must be filed within two years of the date of the accident. Beyond the strict legal time limits, acting fast will help ensure that you get a better settlement offer from the insurance company. You should always initiate your car accident claim as soon as possible. If you are not entirely certain about the car accident claim process, an experienced car accident attorney can answer all of your questions and help guide you through the process.

 

Document Everything

 

Documenting everything and keeping detailed records is crucial. All of the information about the accident is potentially useful evidence. The best thing you can do is to keep a file with documents ordered chronologically. You will need to keep everything you can get your hands on, this includes:

 

  • The official accident report from the police;
  • Extensive photographs of the accident scene and your injuries;
  • Witness statements and contact information;
  • All correspondence related to the accident;
  • All medical records; and
  • Any related financial information.

 

Insurance companies keep good records and they will take advantage of you if you do not.

 

Understand Your Case and Be Patient

 

Receiving the full and fair car accident settlement offer you deserve requires persistence and patience. First, you need to understand the value of your claim. Insurance companies will try to lowball you if they believe they can get away with it. If you start speaking to an insurance claim adjuster and you have no idea what your claim is worth, you put yourself in a very bad position. If you do not understand the value of your claim, do not speak to any insurance company representative. You need to have an attorney comprehensively review your case, so that you can negotiate with the insurance company from a position of knowledge and strength. Patience is also incredibly valuable. Do not jump at the first offer. Insurance companies often try to keep settlement awards down by trying to pressure injured victims into settling quickly. If an insurance company is very eager to settle, that is a sign that your claim is worth more than they are offering. Never agree to a car accident injury settlement without having an experienced car accident attorney review the conditions first.

 

Contact An Experienced Car Accident Attorney

 

Unfortunately, insurance companies never make things easy. These major corporations are staffed with seasoned professionals who understand insurance claims and have plenty of experience negotiating them. They will not willingly offer full and fair settlements to injured car accident victims. The single best thing you can do after an accident is to hire an experienced Chicago car accident attorney. Your attorney will even the playing field and will make sure that your legal rights are fully protected.

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