Your accident was significant, and you have medical bills and numerous other losses to deal with now. It can feel overwhelming, especially when you receive a settlement offer from the insurance company that is nowhere near what you need to pay your bills and help you get back on your feet. This is a real possibility, and it happens often to people who may not know what to do. You can learn how to decline a settlement offer and move your case forward with a few simple steps.
At Smith Jordan Law, our Greenville personal injury lawyer would happily discuss your case. We encourage you not even to file a claim with the insurance company until you speak to an attorney who can help you examine all of your losses. Let us help you to do that.
How to decline a settlement offer properly
When you receive a settlement offer from an insurance company, it will likely come with instructions. You may have some time to accept the claim, or it will become null and void. You may also be told how to accept and move the claim forward. Insurance companies often put artificial deadlines on offers to pressure people into accepting low offers.
However, this does not mean you cannot claim compensation if you don’t comply with the insurance company’s deadline. Remember, the statute of limitations is three years for most injury claims in South Carolina, so the insurance company cannot refuse to pay your claim if you settle it within that time.
You can decline an insurance settlement offer that does not meet your needs. Typically, there are specific steps you can take if you disagree with the carrier’s valuation of your claim. Ultimately, you must communicate with the claims adjuster that you do not want to accept the insurance company’s offer. You should ensure that the insurance adjuster knows that you are rejecting their offer and make clear that their offer is not high enough.
Why using an attorney to reject a settlement offer is beneficial to you
Once you hire an attorney, the insurance company knows you are serious about getting fair compensation for your losses. It can be one of the most important decisions to ensure you do not accept a claim settlement that is simply too low for what you deserve as compensation. Here are some of the ways we can help you through this process.
We help you determine if the settlement is fair
Our team will provide hands-on help to determine if their proposed settlement offer is fair. We are honest with you and will not encourage you with unrealistic expectations. This means that we won’t try to get you to settle your claim for less than it’s worth, and we also won’t give you unreasonable expectations on how much your claim is worth.
We will negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf
This important step can come before or after you decline the offer. The objective is to ensure that you have all of the evidence and documentation possible to prove that you should be given more compensation than what may be provided in the initial offer.
We will gather additional evidence, medical bills, or other information about your losses to help bolster your claim for additional damages.
Let an attorney handle the claims process
Our attorneys will also work closely with you to ensure you file a comprehensive claim. This includes a claim that does not miss details and fully represents your losses. This secondary claim process can often result in a settlement if you present enough of the necessary information to the adjuster to clarify what you are owed.
Insurance adjusters are experienced in negotiating, while most clients are unfamiliar with the process. We negotiate with skill and experience to ensure your interests are protected.. Let us be your voice in these difficult decisions and situations.
We go to court for you when it is necessary to do so
Unfortunately, there are some situations where your claim may not be settled for one reason or another. For example, the insurance company may not be willing to increase their offer to a fair amount.
When we feel no value in continuing negotiations with them, we will discuss the need to go to court to secure what you are owed. Our experienced trial attorneys will help minimize the need to file a lawsuit. Still, you can expect us to work hard and fight to maximize your recovery when a lawsuit is necessary.
Contact our car accident attorney to discuss your claim today
At Smith Jordan Law, our Greenville personal injury attorney can offer guidance and support on declining a settlement offer and increasing the compensation you receive in your case. Let us talk to you about your options.
Contact us now for a free consultation by calling (864) 343-2222 to discuss your case, learn more about your ability to maximize your compensation, and find out how you could settle your claim for more than that initial settlement offer.
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