Is this a fair offer for a car accident?
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Is this a fair offer for a car accident?
The insurance company is offering a settlement of $5500 for an accident with their client. They were given a failure to yield ticket. I am self employed and a Type I diabetic. They want documentation from an employee to figure lost wages. They also want the doctor to specifically say “this accident caused blood sugar irregularities”.
Asked on May 5, 2009 under Accident Law, Louisiana
Answers:
B. B., Member, New Jersey Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 14 years ago | Contributor
There is no way to tell for certain if the offer is fair or not, without knowing more about what happened, and about how it has affected you. Proving lost self-employment income can be complicated. As far as the medical after-effects on your diabetes, the law has a concept called "proximate cause," which means that there has to be some reasonable certainty that the accident was the reason for whatever medical problems you're having.
An attorney with experience in personal injury cases can negotiate with the insurance company for you. It is sad but true that some insurance companies will more or less automatically give you a lower offer -- sometimes much lower -- if you don't have an attorney. Of course, if the insurance company still refused to give a reasonable settlement, you can sue them. If you need to find a lawyer, you can do that at http://attorneypages.com
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