Don't Settle A Car Wreck Or Personal Injury Claim Without Legal Advice

Today, my friend Mike Bryant, a personal injury lawyer in St. Cloud, Minn, had a post on his blog entitled A Settlement Without Legal Advice: Don’t Let It Happen To You or Your Friends. 

Mike’s post is a good reminder about a far too common occurrence — insurance adjusters convincing victims to settle car wreck or other personal injury claims for inadequate amounts. 

Mike’s nice about it.  He suggests that anyone injured and looking at a potential settlement ought to take the time to have the offer reviewed in a free consultation by a personal injury lawyer.  I’m not sure all lawyers do it this way, but my firm (and I’m sure Mike’s as well) will be honest with you; if you have an offer, and we don’t think you’ll do better by hiring us, we’ll tell you so you can settle the case without having to incur fees.  But if the offer is too low, we’ll tell you that also to help you avoid being the victim of an unscrupulous adjuster.

Like I said, Mike’s nice in his post.  I’m not always that nice.  One of the things that really burns me up is what I call “swoop and settle” — where the insurance adjuster comes in and triees to settle the case before the injured person really understands the true extent of his or her injuries.  I think this tactic is almost tantamount to fraud.  I won’t re-write all my complaints here, but I’ve had several posts on the subject:

• What You Can Learn From A True Ambulance Chaser Lawsuit
• How To Ruin A Good Personal Injury Claim
• Barratry, Solicitation, and More:  The Harassent of Injury Victims

I just reiterate what Mike says about knowing what your rights are before you sign a settlement agreement that ends your case.  And even if you don’t want to talk to a lawyer, order our Free Book  HOLDING WRONGDOERS ACCOUNTABLE: AVOIDING MISTAKES THAT CAN RUIN YOUR TEXAS ACCIDENT CLAIM.    It has information in it that can minimize the risks that you make this and other mistakes.