Negotiating Slip-and-Fall Settlements with Insurance Companies

When you suffer an injury due to a slip and fall accident, you may be eligible to get compensation from the responsible party. To get compensation because of someone else’s negligence, you typically file a claim through their insurance company. If everything goes right, the insurance company offers you a settlement that covers your losses and expenses and reimburses you for the pain and suffering you endured. Unfortunately, this is rarely the case. If the offer from an insurance company is subpar, you will need to negotiate a fair offer or file a lawsuit. Understanding the insurance company’s tactics can help make this negotiation easier. The experienced attorneys at Tucker Lawyers can help you navigate this complicated process.

Understanding the Insurance Company’s Tactics

Insurance companies aim to make a profit. The less money an insurance company spends on claims, the more money it makes. Therefore, insurance companies use several tactics to avoid paying fair compensation to claimants.

Paying Only for What You Claim

The simplest strategy used by insurance companies is to allow you to make mistakes. For example, you are required to submit every expense that you are claiming, and there is a chance you could forget to submit some of the paperwork. The insurance company will typically know when you are leaving out bills or losses, but it is under no obligation to inform you of this oversight, which can be frustrating.

The insurance company has to cover only the expenses or losses that you declare, meaning that it can take advantage of any mistakes that you make.

Quick Offer

A common strategy that the insurance company can use to undervalue your claim after a slip and fall accident is to make you a lowball offer that appears acceptable on paper. This works often because insurance companies have a lot of experience with all types of injuries. They can easily determine how much your injury is likely to be worth and then choose a smaller value that still looks reasonable. If you receive that offer before you have obtained all the medical care you need, it may look high enough to cover your expenses. Unfortunately, once you accept an offer, you can no longer get additional compensation from the insurance company.

Denying Portions of Medical Care

Another tactic the insurance company may attempt is to deny individual portions of your treatment after you have already sought that treatment. The insurance company might claim that the treatment you received was not required based on the injury or that an alternate treatment would have been more appropriate. While you can potentially appeal this decision, the insurance company has the advantage in this situation.

Were you seriously injured in a fall in New York? Our legal team may be able to help you get fair compensation for your injuries. Contact Tucker Lawyers at (516) 399-2364 to schedule a free consultation today.

Key Factors That Affect Slip and Fall Settlement Amounts

The main factor that affects most slip and fall settlements in premises liability cases is the severity of your injuries. If you break your arm, for example, you will probably require a few thousand dollars in medical care and may miss a few weeks of work, which will likely cost you about $5,000 to $10,000. Conversely, if you suffer a spinal cord injury, that could require tens of thousands of dollars in medical care and keep you out of work for months.

Steps to Take Before Negotiating a Settlement

The most important step to take before negotiating a settlement is to gather as much evidence as possible. The insurance company can’t easily deny parts of your claim if you have all your ducks in a row. Collecting and preserving evidence will also typically prevent you from leaving things out of your claim.

Tips for Negotiating With Insurance Adjusters

Never accept the first offer of an insurance adjuster, especially if you haven’t received all of your medical treatment yet. Once you file your claim, you effectively have three years to complete it. Three years is the length of the statute of limitations for slip and fall lawsuits in New York. Until the statute of limitations runs out, you have the option to file a lawsuit if the insurance company refuses to act in good faith. This means you can wait until your medical care is complete and you are back at work. By delaying, you can ensure that you know exactly what the injury cost you before you request compensation.

The Benefits of Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer

The main benefit of hiring a personal injury lawyer is the experience one can provide. Our attorneys have negotiated countless settlements with insurance companies. We understand the procedures and what type of evidence is crucial for getting fair settlement offers. Even more importantly, our legal team has extensive experience with all types of injuries. We can quickly estimate how much your case is worth, usually during the initial consultation, which means we know when the insurance company is making a bad offer. Finally, just by hiring a lawyer, you are threatening the insurance company with a potential lawsuit. Most insurance companies will negotiate in good faith to avoid a lawsuit.

Contact Tucker Lawyers Today

If you are injured in a slip and fall accident due to the negligence of another, you deserve compensation for that harm. Our legal team can help you get a fair settlement from the insurance company.

Don’t wait to speak with a lawyer. Contact our law firm at (516) 399-2364 immediately to schedule a free consultation.

john tucker

Managing Attorney John. J. Tucker, Esq.

John has personally handled thousands of clients who were victims of another’s negligence and fights relentlessly for their rights. John enjoys bringing closure to a client’s matter so that the injured party can move forward with their life. His background enables him to evaluate complex liability related claims and bring resolution to claims in a record time frame. [ Attorney Bio ]

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