There are times when it is worthwhile to take your St. Louis car accident case to court.
When you are in a car accident in Missouri, it is usually best to try to settle your case outside of the confines of a courtroom. If you can reach a fair settlement with the insurance company, then your case will get resolved much more quickly and you can avoid taking your case to court. Although settling is often the preferred method, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it is always the right way to go. There are times when it is worthwhile to escalate your car accident case to court. Knowing when to settle is critical to getting the most for your injuries and damages without tying yourself up in court for years, or getting less than you were offered to begin with even if you go to court.
What to Do Before You Try Negotiating a Settlement
Before you negotiate with an insurance company, it is critical that you get the advice of an experienced St. Louis car accident attorney to understand exactly what you may be entitled to. Since you may be eligible for both economic and non-economic damages, knowing how to calculate for and anticipate any future medical issues is imperative. Although economic damages are easy to calculate because they are concrete things like lost wages and medical bills, non-economic damages are subjective and not so easy to put a price on.
One thought to keep in mind when you are dealing with an insurance company is that their priority isn’t to make sure that you are compensated fairly. Their main objective is to minimize their costs. That means that the first offer is almost never going to be a fair one and there will probably be room for negotiation. That is why you will benefit from having a St. Louis car accident attorney in your corner to calculate what your damages and injuries, both economic and non-economic, are worth.
What You Should Understand Before Accepting a Settlement Offer
If you accept a settlement offer and sign on the dotted line, then you are absolving the insurance company from any other liability in the case. If you haven’t anticipated for long-term care or injuries that can arise later, then you can be literally signing your life away. The best way to know for sure whether you should take a settlement or go to court is to have an experienced lawyer look it over.
If You Are Unable to Reach an Agreement
If you are unable to reach an agreement with the insurance company or get them to compensate you fairly, then your best option may be taking your case to court. If you don’t pursue a court case then you will probably get way less than you are entitled to. Our St. Louis car accident attorneys work on a contingency basis, which means that we only get paid when you do.
Although being able to reach a settlement amount with your insurance company is almost always the best way to go, it isn’t always going to benefit you. That is why before you sign for any settlement, you should speak with an experienced attorney.