How to Negotiate a Personal Injury Claim with Amica Insurance

How Is a Claim Evaluated?

It is widely known that insurance companies have programs, books, and other resources available that help them construct a settlement offer for your claim. These resources assign standardized values to your claim’s component parts.

For example, there is a standard amount offered for a broken bone, for a damaged fender, and for nonspecific back pain. Unfortunately, these amounts may or may not correspond to your actual expenses and losses.

You may find it necessary to negotiate a better settlement with your Amica claim adjustor. If you attempt to do this, the following tips may help you in securing the settlement you need:

Know the Amount You Actually Need

This may seem elementary, but it is hard to negotiate a settlement that is favorable to you if you do not know what you actually need. It is important that you get reasonable estimates for repairs to your car and get the medical treatment required to make a full recovery.

Knowing these amounts makes it easy to justify a higher settlement amount. It is hard, for example, for your adjustor to insist on paying you $2,000 for a broken hand when your doctor needed to perform $5,000 worth of treatment. While you should not go overboard or grossly exaggerate your expenses, you should not be ashamed to ask for the compensation that matches the full extent of your damages.

Keep Your Story Straight

Your adjustor may question you at length about the car accident. He will likely ask you how it happened and who was at fault.

Some people who are sure of the details at first begin to fidget under this intense questioning, stating that the accident “might” have been their fault or they weren’t really sure of what happened. This puts you in a bad negotiating position.

As soon as possible after your car accident, be sure to write down the important details so you can refer to them later. This will help you keep the details of your accident consistent throughout the claims process and will help you resist settling your claim for less.

Be Reasonable but Firm

In any negotiation, both parties attempt to leave with something they want. You want compensation for your injuries; your adjustor wants to pay as little as possible.

You can expect there to be some give-and-take. However, you should have a minimum amount of compensation you are willing to take, and be firm on those damages.

If the adjuster does not offer you your minimum amount, consider carefully whether to accept such an offer or if you want to pursue other avenues, like a lawsuit. Whereas taking a claim to court may net you more money, it may take more time to get the compensation.

Get Help from El Paso Injury Attorneys

Contact us at Zinda Law Group for help negotiating an injury claim with Amica Insurance. We have helped victims of car accidents, slip and falls, workplace injuries, and more deal with claim adjusters will help you do the same.

Call us at (800) 863-5312 to schedule a free consultation and learn what we can do for you. You only pay if we win. Meetings by appointment only.