Leave The Judge Out Of It: Taking Alternative Personal Injury Actions

When an injury occurs as a result of another person's negligence or carelessness, your first thought might be to file a lawsuit. This way of resolving matters, however, may not be the best one. Taking personal injury cases to court should be the last resort and not the first action taken. Court means time and more money spent and there are better ways to be paid for your injuries. Read on to find out about some moves to make that avoids court altogether.

Take an Insurance Settlement

The vast majority of accidents involve minor injuries and a low level of damages. This can include fender-benders, slip-and-fall incidents, and dog bites. In cases where medical bills and other losses are fairly low, victims might be better off seeking a settlement with the insurance company. For example, if you trip over a cable in a store, speak to the manager about filing a claim. Most businesses are insured against customer accidents and will often offer to pay you for your medical bills, lost time from work, lost personal property, and more.

When it comes to car accidents, minor accidents that resulted in bumps and bruises may not be worth filing a suit as long as the auto insurer pays for your losses. The time to seek more damages than what might be forthcoming from an insurer is when:

  1. The insurer ignores your needs.
  2. Your injuries cause you to be hospitalized.
  3. Your losses are in the thousands rather than the hundreds.

Seek a Better Settlement

Even if your losses were high or the settlement offered is too low, you might not necessarily need to file a lawsuit to be compensated. Speak to a personal injury attorney and get a better idea of what you might be entitled to be paid and have them demand payment. Sometimes, when the other side realizes that you now have professional legal help, they become more accommodating to accident victims. A demand letter details your losses, references your evidence, and requests to be paid a certain amount. The implication is that you will take further legal action if the demands are not met. Often, this letter prompts negotiations that result in the payment of your damages.

If you have a good case with solid evidence and high damages, you have a good chance of being paid a settlement without having to go to court. To find out more about what should be paid and how to achieve payment, seek out auto accident attorney services.


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