If car accident injuries significantly disrupted your life, you may want to seek compensation that accounts for the financial, physical, and emotional costs of the accident. While you don't have full control over your Texas car accident settlement, you can take a few steps to seek a fair compensation award that reflects the full value of your accident.
Understanding the Value of Your Car Accident Case
Seeking a fair Texas car accident settlement requires you to understand the value of your case. This can help you avoid inadvertently accepting a settlement offer that does not account for certain damages.
In a personal injury claim, you may be able to seek economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages account for the monetary costs of the accident, such as medical expenses, property damage, and time off work. Non-economic damages help make up for the physical and emotional toll the accident has taken on you, with damages including pain and suffering, loss of quality of life, and more.
An experienced car accident lawyer can help you assess the monetary value of your car accident damages. With this figure in mind, you can enter the insurance settlement process knowing your case's worth.
Tips for Reaching a Fair Car Accident Compensation Settlement
Taking the following steps may help you pursue a fair Texas car accident settlement.
Preserve Evidence From Your Accident
Valuable evidence in your accident case can become inaccessible to you over time. Take steps to preserve evidence by taking photos and videos of the accident scene, keeping a log of your injury symptoms, identifying and getting contact information for all witnesses, taking extensive pictures, requesting black box data and security footage, and keeping copies of all medical records. This can help you support the insurance company's liability determination and show your need for damages.
Track Your Expenses Closely and Keep Receipts
Proving the value of your case will almost always require you to show receipts for medical expenses and other costs resulting from the accident. It might help to keep a detailed list of all expenses as you pay them and track the physical and emotional costs of the accident in the same way. You might take note of how your life has changed since the accident, certain activities you can no longer participate in, and how your job has been affected.
Be Prepared To Negotiate a Higher Settlement
You do not necessarily need to accept the first settlement offer presented by the insurance company or defendant. Sometimes, negotiating is a necessary step in reaching a fair settlement. You can present additional evidence of your damages as an explanation of why the initial offer is insufficient.
Hire an Experienced Attorney To Represent You
Pursuing a fair car accident settlement may be challenging if you have no legal experience and are focused on recovering from injuries. You may benefit from having an attorney assist you with evidence collection and represent you in settlement negotiations. They can also help you understand the value of your case, including both economic and pain and suffering damages.
Request a Consultation With McLaurin Law, PLLC
McLaurin Law, PLLC, represents car accident victims across Houston at every stage of the Texas car accident resolution process. We can help you assess your case value and understand your rights.
Contact us today at 713-766-5621 to request a consultation.
