Top Five Myths About Filing a Personal Injury Claim

What are the top myths about filing a personal injury claim?

What Are the Biggest Myths Out There?

If you have done any research at all, you may have come across plenty of conflicting information about personal injury claims. Just some of the biggest myths that have led people just like you to avoid filing a claim include:

1. You will receive the same amount of compensation as your neighbor who had a similar injury. While similar injuries are common, the settlement amounts are anything but. Just because your neighbor suffered from lacerations and broken bones in a car accident does not mean that you will receive the same amount in compensation. That is because every case is unique – and your injuries could be less or more extensive than your neighbor. You may miss more hours at work, have a longer recovery, or even require long-term rehabilitative therapy that your neighbor did not need. All of these minor factors will determine the total settlement – not the similarity of the injuries to others.
2. You must cooperate with all requests from insurance companies. While this is true, there are some untrue things to point out here too. For example, an insurance claims adjuster will try to tell you that you are required to give a recorded statement before he or she can proceed with your claim. This is not true. You are not required to provide a recorded statement or even sign an official statement. If your insurer requests this, you must contact an injury attorney right away. Giving insurance companies access to recorded or signed statements could actually lessen your settlement or result in a denial altogether.
3. My settlement amount will be based on a set formula. This is not necessarily true. All insurance companies use their own set multipliers, but they also negotiate with attorneys. Therefore, their multiplier may come back with a lower settlement value, and a good attorney can negotiate a higher value based on the evidence and your injuries.
4. All personal injury attorneys have the same skill and will receive the same settlement value regardless. This is especially untrue. Not all attorneys can receive the same settlement amount, and hiring the wrong attorney could actually result in an inadequate settlement value. It is important to hire based on expertise and track record – not advertisements.
5. A personal injury claim will take years in court. While it is true that you could spend a few months or years hashing out your case in court, the likelihood of going to court is not very high. Most personal injury claims will settle outside of court – because insurers know that it will cost them more to take the claim to trial.

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