There are many common myths that people hear when they’re trying to figure out how to best negotiate auto crash settlements. These get passed person to person, through the internet, television, and many other mediums. Your auto accident settlement can be a large sum of money that you need to recover from the damages done to you from another party. With so much at stake make sure you do research and figure out what is true and what is false before you sign any documents.
Myth 1 – Any Attorney Can Handle Auto Crash Settlements
This first myth can actually cost you quite a bit of money. Just as you wouldn’t go to a heart surgeon for laser eye surgery, you don’t want to go to divorce lawyer to get an auto accident injury settlement done. A lawyer with years of experience in auto crashes will know the specific laws on the issue much better as well as any pertinent cases and precedents. They will be better able to tell you the amount of money that you’re owed and have much more experience in negotiating with insurance companies.
If you have a large settlement pending, make sure that you hire a good lawyer that specializes in auto settlements.
Myth 2 – Serious Injuries Automatically Result on Large Settlements
Most people believe that because whenever you suffer serious injuries in an auto accident you will almost automatically be given huge settlements by justices and jurors. While there’s always cases of people getting obscene amount of money for what seems to be frivolous injuries, victims do not always have the upper hand. The amount you are given for a settlement many times depends on a lot of factors that don’t include the severity of your injuries. Specifically, the judge that will be trying your case, the jurors that are chosen, and the insurance adjuster you’re up against will have a huge bearing on the amount you can get an any settlement or lawsuit.
Myth 3 – Pain and Suffering is Easy to Collect
Going along the same lines as the previous point, many people think amount for pain and suffering are relatively easy to collect. In reality, these amount vary greatly and depend on some of the same variables as above, including the judge and jury you have in your case. Rule and caps on collecting pain and suffering also vary from state to state. There are only three cases where pain and suffering is virtually assured everywhere you go. These cases are when a victim dies, is permanently disfigured, or loses some of their body function. In these cases you can look forward to some pain and suffering damages, but not necessarily a huge amount depending on the severity of your injuries.
Myth 4 – There’s One Average Price for a Settlement
The fact is each auto accident is different so each settlement amount is going to be different. In certain types of cases, a person stands to get a lot more just because of the nature of the crash. Crashes involving drunk drivers generally receiver more money, which is why DWI car insurance is so expensive. On top of this, the laws in each state are different, resulting in different allowable settlement amounts. Some states may allow you to get large pain and suffering settlements, others might not. Some states might have no fault accident laws where all the people involved are guaranteed certain rights regardless of who is at fault, but others have at fault laws. Make sure you know all the laws and regulations that apply to you before you sign off on a settlement.
Collecting auto crash settlements can be a very trying affair. Make sure that you know what you are doing and aren’t relying on hearsay evidence from others. If you are ever unsure about something and there’s a lot of money on the line, always make sure that you consult an attorney.