If you have been injured in a car accident, then personal injury compensation may be an option. To be eligible, you’ll have to show negligence on the part of somebody else.
While a personal injury case can go to trial, most cases are settled out of court. However, this can take time and the insurance companies you are dealing with may not always act in good faith. Here are a few things to be wary of.
They may try and blame you
Personal injury compensation in Texas is awarded based on comparative negligence. Anyone who is less than 51% responsible for the accident can claim compensation. However, the more at fault someone is deemed to be, the less compensation they will receive.
Insurance companies are aware of this, which is why they often try to put a large portion of blame onto the claimant. They may argue that the court will likely hold you more to blame than you actually are and that your best option is to accept their offer. Nonetheless, insurance companies have their interests at heart and not yours. That’s why it’s best not to accept early settlement offers.
They may slow things down
Insurers know that legal claims can take time. This tends to be the case even when circumstances seem fairly straightforward. One tactic that insurers often employ is to delay proceedings. Common examples of delaying tactics include:
- Failing to send you relevant documents
- Failing to follow up on requests
- Missing deadlines or stretching deadlines to the very limit
The reason for delaying tactics is usually to pressure you into accepting an earlier settlement offer. The best way to protect yourself from bad-faith insurance companies is to seek legal guidance soon after your accident.