Yes! In fact, that’s the reason why many injured Oklahomans contact us after accidents that weren’t their fault.
Insurance companies spend big bucks on marketing campaigns that are designed to convince the public that they’re benevolent corporations ready to sweep in and make everything better when people need help the most. But that couldn’t be any further from the truth.
In reality, insurance companies fight tooth and nail to avoid paying claimants fair settlements, whether that means denying their claims outright or offering them “lowball” settlements that won’t cover all or even most of their expenses. And without experienced lawyers on their side, victims usually have to accept whatever the insurance company decides to do—and sometimes that means not getting a penny in compensation.
3 Opportunities for Increased Compensation
Whether they offer immediate settlements after injuries, or they exhaust injury victims with back-and-forth arguments, insurance companies rarely consider how much money victims truly need. As Oklahoma personal injury lawyers, we review our clients’ injuries and the insurance companies’ offers to find where compensation is lacking.
Three common areas where insurance companies try to cut corners include:
Future medical expenses
Insurers know that victims are stressed about their medical bills and need to pay them ASAP. They take advantage of this stress by offering victims enough money to cover their current medical bills but not providing a dime for future medical expenses related to their injury. We calculate how much money victims need for ongoing treatments and we demand the insurance company pay up in full.
Future lost wages
When people are injured, they’re often too hurt or disabled to work. That means no paychecks, and no paychecks means no money for medical bills and other living expenses. As with medical bills, insurers frequently offer compensation to cover lost wages “to date” but fail to consider how many paychecks victims will lose in total or even how their injuries will affect their careers. For example, some victims may have their future earning potential permanently impacted, and they deserve to be rightfully compensated for that loss.
Pain and suffering
Insurance companies rarely consider pain and suffering on their own when calculating how much money injured victims should get. That’s partly because they want to save money and partly because they have no way of knowing how victims’ injuries affected their lives. Our lawyers know that the mental and emotional pain of injuries can outweigh the physical pain, and we work hard to get our clients fairly paid for their lost enjoyment of life.
What if the Insurance Company Refuses to Pay a Fair Settlement?
Insurers have plenty of tricks up their sleeves to protect their profits, and one of the most common is simply refusing to pay victims, period. Whether they deny their clients were liable for injuries, or they balk at the amount of money the victims and their lawyers request, insurers being uncooperative is something we see every day.
Here’s how we combat it:
- We collect evidence that proves our clients’ injuries happened according to their statements.
This means gathering accident reports, medical reports, witness statements, security camera footage, and more to piece together evidence that backs up what our clients say.
- We objectively calculate exactly how much money our clients are owed.
When we demand money from insurance companies, we don’t just make wild guesses at how much our clients should be paid. We calculate precise figures based on how much money their injuries will cost them.
- We negotiate to get fair settlements.
In almost every personal injury claim, there’s a back-and-forth negotiation process between victims’ lawyers and the insurance companies. Our years of experience in the industry allow us to maximize our clients’ settlements during negotiation and ensure that they get paid as quickly as possible.
We CAN’T Help You Get More Money If You Already Accepted a Settlement
Although we have many ways to help our clients get more money from insurance companies, we can’t help them if they’ve already accepted settlement offers. That’s because buried in the fine print of these offers are stipulations that free the insurance companies and their policyholders from future liability once claimants accept those settlements.
Never accept the insurance company’s settlement offer without speaking to a lawyer first! It could cost you for years to come.
Contact Parrish DeVaughn Today for a Free Consultation
At Parrish DeVaughn, we’ve seen time and time again how injured victims are mistreated by insurance companies. And sadly, many victims don’t realize how badly they’ve been mistreated until their settlement money runs out and they’re left with more medical bills to pay and weeks or months of additional lost paychecks.
Our Oklahoma personal injury lawyers know what you’re going through, and our mission is to get you fair compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Contact us today for a free consultation. There’s no obligation to hire after speaking to one of our lawyers, and you’ll never see a single bill from us unless we get you money.
