If you’ve had an accident in Iowa that was someone else’s fault, it’s likely that person’s insurance company will reach out to you and try to settle your claim.
Many insurance companies try to settle with you quickly. There is a reason for that—they know they generally pay less the earlier they settle the case with you. While it may be tempting to get the insurance adjuster off your back, we encourage you to be patient. You should never settle your personal injury claim until you know the full extent of your losses.
What You Need to Know Before Settling Your Iowa Personal Injury Claim
Here are just some of the things you’ll need to know before you settle your claim:
1. Whether there is evidence to prove the defendant was negligent.
2. The total amount of your medical bills so far, and the cost of any medical care you will need going forward.
3. How much your health insurance is asking to be paid back out of any settlement.
4. The total amount of your lost wages so far, and how your injuries will impact your ability to work going forward.
5. How much your long- or short-term disability plan is asking to be paid back out of any settlement.
6. Whether you are going to have permanent pain—physical or mental—because of your injury.
7. Whether you are going to have permanent physical restrictions because of your injury.
8. Whether your doctors clearly link all your injuries to the accident in their medical records.
Deadlines in Your Iowa Personal Injury Case
There are strict deadlines that apply to filing a personal injury lawsuit. If you don’t meet that deadline, you will lose the opportunity to ask for money for your injuries. You should talk to an attorney about the deadline that applies to your kind of case.
While there are hard deadlines that apply to settling or filing your personal injury case, you will probably have some time after your injuries to gather the information you need to prove the full extent of your losses, and who needs to be paid back out of your settlement.
Should You Really Settle Your Case Without an Attorney?
While there are some claims you can settle on your own, that’s not true for many personal injury cases. A good lawyer will tell you whether your case would benefit from getting an injury lawyer involved.
The lawyers at RSH Legal understand there are some claims that don’t need an attorney—we will be honest and tell you if yours is one of them.
On the other hand, if your medical bills are reaching over $5,000 and you believe your injuries are going to last into the future, it’s unlikely the insurance company is going to properly value your claim without the help of an experienced Iowa personal injury lawyer.
If you have any questions about whether your case can benefit from having a lawyer from RSH involved, please give our office a call today at 1-800-433-0283. We’ll give you our honest, no-nonsense opinion.