Do you want the short answer? You don’t know until you talk to an attorney.
If you’ve had a car accident or other type of injury claim here in Virginia and insurance company has offered you money to settle your case, before doing anything, we recommend speaking to an attorney. Keep in mind that insurance companies have an interest in resolving your claim as quickly as possible for as little money as possible. Simply put, they are not your friends. You should not treat them like your friends.
Does that mean that you’ll have to hire an attorney? (And pay them?)
Not necessarily. In some instances, it may be in your best interest not to hire an attorney. When considering whether your settlement offer is fair, here at Abrenio Law, we believe that what matters is the money that goes in your pocket. While an insurance company may not offer you an amount they’d offer us, if it’s more money in your pocket, that’s a better deal. Remember, when you hire an attorney, the attorney will take part of your settlement funds. If, because we are involved, you receive less money in your pocket, we think that’s bad lawyering.
But how will I know if I need an attorney?
Call Abrenio Law, and we’ll help you. Of course, part of this analysis is determining what your case is worth. In our experience, if you’ve suffered any significant injury such as a broken bone, torn ligament, traumatic brain injury, or require extensive treatment such as surgeries, extensive physical therapy, cognitive therapy, etc. it’s likely that you will need an attorney for your case. In our experience, insurance companies don’t treat people fairly when they’ve suffered complex injury cases. They know that people who don’t have attorneys don’t know how to file lawsuits and don’t have a practical understanding of what their case may be worth.
That said, in some instances, where a person has received minor injuries such as sprains and strains without treatment beyond an emergency room visit or an urgent care visit, it may be in their best interest to resolve their claim without an attorney. However, it never hurts to call an attorney to receive guidance and we are here to help you with that at Abrenio Law.
Do you want to know if the insurance company is offering a fair settlement?
The answer is easy – reach out to Abrenio Law. Call 703.570.4180. for your FREE consultation. We’d also recommend you review the other articles, blogs, and videos that we have created and will continue to build on this site. You can also learn about Northern Virginia Car Accident Attorney James Abrenio here.