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What to Consider Before Settling a Motorcycle Accident Claim

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Posted by Tim Semelroth

WARNING: Be Suspicious When The Other Driver’s Insurance Corporation Says “You Don’t Need An Attorney”

Insurance corporation representatives will often suggest to injured bikers that they do not need an attorney because “we can just work this out together.” Motorcycle accident victims need to realize that there is no “we” in this situation.

Never forget that the other driver’s insurance representative is not a friend and is not truly motivated to make sure that an injured biker receives fair compensation. The insurance representative’s job is to settle the claim as quickly and as cheaply as possible – nothing more.

Insurance corporations work very hard to discourage injured bikers from consulting with attorneys because insurance industry statistics show that “[r]epresented claims [when an injured person uses an attorney] settle for 2-3 times more than unrepresented claims [when an injured person settles on his or her own].” Allstate Unrepresented Adjuster Training Manual, July 1995.

For this reason, courts and regulators in a number of states, including New York, Pennsylvania and Washington, have ordered insurance corporations to stop discouraging accident victims from going to attorneys and learning about their rights before settlement. Settling a motorcycle accident injury claim without consulting with an attorney can lead to unfortunate consequences like settlements that do not take into account future medical expenses or the legal right of other parties – like health insurance companies, Medicare or Medicaid – to be reimbursed out of any settlement.

Most people would not agree to sell a house without having it appraised by an expert – unfortunately many injured bikers settle their injury claims without ever seeking expert advice on what they are worth.

To find out other important things that should be considered before settling a motorcycle accident injury claim, use the form to the right to download the entire Law Guide to Iowa Motorcycle Accident Claims.

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