If you have been injured in an accident, a San Antonio accident attorney may be able to help you get the compensation you need to pay for your expenses. Certain insurance companies use negotiation tactics to minimize the amount of money they have to pay in settlements, even if it means going to trial. Being aware of these tactics is the best way to prepare yourself for the settlement process or trial if you are unable to reach a settlement. Here are some of the most common tactics used to reduce the amount of your settlement.

Ridiculously Low Offers

It is common for an insurance company to submit an initial settlement offer that is well below your attorney’s bottom line. Your attorney may base the figure you are requesting on his estimation of what the insurance company will offer as well as your various expenses and damages associated with the accident. If your insurance adjuster provides a low offer with no explanation, it can mean one of many different things. Your demand may have been deemed unreasonably high, so the adjuster returned it in the form of an equally disproportionate figure. Your insurance carrier may also be a conservative carrier that prefers to litigate rather than come to a settlement. There are many insurance companies that penalize adjusters for settling cases when avoidable, so you may have little success when negotiating with this type of carrier. Your adjuster may also be feeling out the situation to determine how low of an offer your lawyer will accept. This strategy also serves to curb your expectations of a high settlement. Other insurance adjusters have little authority to settle or may be new to the negotiation process.

Dealing with Low Offers

Your San Antonio accident attorney may choose to reassess your initial settlement demand and come to a lower figure, if appropriate. In other cases, you may choose to file a lawsuit if you do not believe that your insurance carrier will offer a fair settlement. Your attorney may also ask the adjuster whether he has room to make a higher offer and negotiate accordingly. Finding a middle range for an offer is often the most effective way of reaching a settlement. Your attorney may also ask whether there was a particular reason for the low settlement offer. If so, there may be something you can do to adjust your claim and present a demand that allows the insurance company more room to work with you. If none of these solutions are effective, you can prepare to litigate your case in court.

Contact San Antonio Car Accident Lawyers

Call Brylak Law today at (866) 496-3815 to work with San Antonio car accident lawyers you can trust.