Dealing with an insurance company after an accident

Insurance companies make money by investing the premiums paid for insurance policies and it is to their advantage to delay payment of claims for as long as possible. Claims adjusters working for insurance companies are trained and experienced in reducing claims as much as possible. It is their job to make sure their employer, the insurance company, pays as little as possible on any personal injury claim.

Lawyers who handle personal injury claims arising out of an accident are paid on a contingency basis. The lawyers are paid a percentage of the recovery and the client pays nothing if the claim is not successful. It is tempting for a client to avoid paying a portion of a settlement to a lawyer by trying to handle the case themselves. The problem is clients are not experienced about the value of their claim or the legal ramifications of a settlement. It is penny wise and pound foolish to try to represent yourself in a claim arising out of an accident.

An insurance company will discount the claim far below what the net result would be of hiring a lawyer because the insurance company knows they can take advantage of a victim who is not represented. The result will undoubtedly be that the victim of someone's negligence will end up settling for an insufficient amount by trying to represent themselves. The insurance company knows the law and a layman does not. An insurance adjuster knows how to emphasize the weaknesses in a potential claim while diminishing the value of a claim. An experienced personal injury lawyer knows all about these tricks and is far more likely to obtain an adequate settlement than is a nonlawyer who tries to represent himself or herself.

Lincoln said, "A lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client."

The same thing can be said of someone who tries to represent themselves in a personal injury action. Such an attempt will undoubtedly end in disaster.

Theodore Babbitt is senior partner in the law firm of Babbitt & Johnson, P.A., and is a member of the Inner Circle of Advocates, which is limited to the top 100 personal injury lawyers in the United States. _____________________________________ Ted Babbitt

Babbitt and Johnson, P.A.

1641 Worthington Road, Suite 100

West Palm Beach FL 33409

(561) 684-2500

www.babbitt-johnson.com

tedbabbitt@babbitt-johnson.com

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