A settlement is an agreement between the parties to settle the matter for a predetermined sum of money. The parties will then dismiss the litigation and resume their lives.
Nobody wants to spend years fighting a car accident claim and preparing a case to lose at trial. This is why most disputes have settled a side may receive a guaranteed compensation without employing an attorney to fight a dangerous legal battle. A settlement is an informal conclusion to a case for a mutually acceptable remedy, at which point the parties discontinue the ongoing litigation.
Settlement conferences are not required statewide in Georgia. Suppose you are overburdened by the unexpected bills resulting from your car accident. An Athens car accident lawyer can serve you in obtaining compensation for your personal and financial damages.
Georgia has a standard vehicle accident compensation, which we’ll go over in more depth.
What is the regular car accident settlement in Georgia?
This is a difficult issue because each situation’s damage varies.
The parties and their counsel will evaluate the following factors to establish an agreement.
Insurance companies will not bear more than the policy limitations.
- Vehicle maintenance
- Medical expenses past and future
- Suffering and agony
- Earnings lost due to time away from work
- Expenses for rehabilitation
- Disabilities
- Disfigurement and scarring
How does a car accidents settlement work?
Negotiating a settlement after being involved in an automobile accident is never an easy process. To receive better settlements, follow the steps outlined below.
Contact with lawyer
You must first contact a car accident attorney about your situation. Then begin working on your behalf, including obtaining a copy of the accident report, speaking with adjusters, and seeking medical attention if you are not already seeing one.
Claim and insurance
Your attorney quickly notified all potential insurance companies and individuals that you have a personal injury claim. They begin collecting all insurance information, including coverage amounts, to assess how much insurance money is available to cover your claim. This is a critical step. Only attorneys understand how to stack many policies to provide more accessible insurance money. They will also hunt for medical payments insurance to assist cover the cost of your medical treatment.
Evaluation
The firm begins gathering all relevant evidence on your claim when you appoint your attorney. This might include:
- A copy of the accident report, as well as other police papers
- Photographs of the car damage
- Medical documents and bills
- Begin recording your lost wages.
Medical Attention
The firm will closely monitor your injuries and medical care. They will also track your progress week by week. They also want to ensure that you are collecting all necessary documents to document your medical evidence properly, for example, injuries, pain, and suffering. Do not be concerned about not having health insurance and having difficulty paying your medical expenditures. Your attorney will collaborate with doctors about your treatment.
Preparation of the Settlement Package
Once you have completed medical treatment or have reached the point where the physicians can no longer help you, your attorney will begin putting together your compensation package, which they will use to negotiate with the insurance companies. They call each doctor or other entity to verify every bill or amount outstanding. Then, prepare a detailed settlement letter to the adjuster outlining your claim and supporting documentation. They deliver the settlement package to the adjuster once they have confirmed all the numbers.
Negotiations
Insurance adjusters often assess your settlement package and make their initial offer within 20-30 days. Negotiations will go fast once they get their initial offer. The firm normally receives the best price from the insurance carrier quickly. After each request, your attorney will call you to discuss it and what your counter offer should be. You must authorize each counter-offer made on your behalf.
Lawsuit vs. Settlement
Once your attorney has obtained the insurance company’s best offer, you will get the proposed settlement documentation. These documents outline the adjuster’s best offer and then break down the proposed settlement into how you will be received. If you accept the offer, you must sign and return a Release. The adjuster will then send out the cheque, which your attorney will put into your trust account and wait for it to clear.
You must pay anyone who treated you or any government or private organization that may be entitled to reimbursement once it clears. Of course, your lawyer will bargain with each to reduce the amount you must pay them. Suppose you decline the insurance company’s best offer. The entire legal procedure might take up to a year.
Conclusion
In the end, I would say kindly follow the step-by-step instruction, and after that, Once your matter has been settled, the settlement amount is final and cannot be modified. The insurance provider may frequently make you a very cheap offer to get you to take it. Before discussing any compensation figures, I strongly advise consulting with a skilled and experienced Athens car accident lawyer.
