How Do You Respond to a Low Settlement Offer? | The Fitch Law Firm (2024)

You can respond to a low settlement offer by telling an insurance company that you would like to consult with a lawyer first. This statement can give you the time that you need to think your decision over without the pressure that an insurance adjuster can bring.

When you retain the services of a personal injury lawyer from our firm, they will take care of any correspondence with insurance companies on your behalf. In doing so, we can work to pursue any forms of compensation to which you may be entitled.

We Can Handle Settlement Negotiations on Your Behalf

AsOhio Revised Code Section 2305.10points out, you have a limited window of time to take legal action after a Columbus personal injury. By contacting our firm as soon as possible after an accident, we can:

• Calculate the exact amount of money that your case is worth so that you can identify a low offer when you see one
• Collect various forms of evidence that will serve to strengthen your legal position and prove your entitlement to damages
• Handle all communications with other parties so that the insurance company has no chance to misrepresent your words to deny you compensation
• Help you provide whatever information the insurance company may request, including your cell phone records, eyewitness testimonies, and police reports, among other forms of evidence
• Negotiate with the insurance company for the settlement that you deserve, not the settlement that they feel like paying
• Continue the fight for your money in court, if the insurance company refuses to negotiate in good faith
• Answer any and all questions you have about your rights, responsibilities, and legal options

It costs you nothing to call our office and find out how we can help you fight for fair compensation. Also, if you hire us, we will charge you no attorney’s fees up front: you only owe us these fees if and when we recover compensation for you.

What May Go Into a Fair Settlement

One of our personal injury lawyers can consider all forms of damages that you suffered from the accident. Financial damages will factor into the settlement negotiations process. These are called economic damages and may include:

• Time away from work (lost wages)
• Past and future medical bills
• Permanent inability to work as much as you used to
• Permanent inability to work at all
• The cost of repairing your vehicle (if you were involved in a traffic accident)
• Any other expenses or losses associated with the accident

We can also consider physical or emotional damages that may be harder to quantify. These are non-economic damages, and they may include:

• Pain and suffering, including emotional trauma
• Loss of the ability to enjoy life
• Temporary or permanent physical disability
• Temporary or permanent intellectual disability
• Loss of consortium
• The worsening or exacerbation of any preexisting condition

These damages may be available to both personal injury victims and wrongful death victims. If you lost a loved one due to another party’s carelessness, you may also be entitled to compensation for:

• Funeral or burial expenses
• The loss of your loved one’s affection, presence, and guidance
• The loss of your loved one’s income, upon which you depended for financial security

We understand how difficult it is to suffer an injury or, especially, to lose a loved one in a preventable accident. Let our firm help you pursue all of the damages that you are entitled to.

Protecting Yourself From the Insurance Company

The amount you can receive via settlement varies based on several factors in your case. However, according to theOhio Department of Insurance, you have the right, based on the terms of your policy, to:

• Have the liable party’s insurance company offer a prompt, good-faith settlement
• Be able to negotiate with the insurance company’s adjuster

Insurance adjusters are acclimated to the process of negotiating settlement amounts with accident victims. Insurers may use a variety of negotiating tactics to try to offer you a low settlement, such as:

• Completely denying your case: They may say that the circ*mstances surrounding your injury are completely different from the way you represented them.
• Denying that their client had anything to do with the injury: For instance, they could say that your injury occurred prior to the accident, so their client does not owe damages.
• Placing full or partial blame for the accident on you: Even if your role in the accident was minor, insurance companies may exaggerate it to save themselves from paying a settlement that covers the true costs of your damages.
• Offering a low settlement or refusing to negotiate: They may try to make you believe that their lowball offer is the best you can ever get.

After an accident, an insurance adjuster may act as quickly as possible to offer a low settlement amount.

Instead of fighting the insurance companies alone, let a lawyer from our firm step in to handle these negotiations. This will give you more time to focus on healing from your injuries or rebuilding your life after the loss of a loved one.

Contact Our Office to Learn More About Settlement Offers

It is normal to be unsure as to how to respond to a low settlement offer after a personal injury. At the Fitch Law Firm LLC, we are passionate about advocating for you after an accident. With our team on your side, you can rest and recover as we handle the entire legal process on your behalf. Call us today at(614) 545-3930to speak to a member of our team at no cost.