How Do I Know If My California Personal Injury Settlement Offer Is Enough?

At Hanning & Sacchetto, LLP, our Whittier personal injury attorneys know between 90-95% of all personal injury claims in the U.S. are resolved through settlements instead of jury verdicts. Negotiating with an at-fault party’s insurance provider to reach a fair and just settlement for our California client’s complete damages allows us to expedite the process and help them get their lives back on track.

However, each person and claim we handle is unique. This means that, ultimately, the adequacy of your personal injury settlement depends on the circumstances of your case and your individual needs. Ensuring you receive the proper settlement is crucial because you cannot go backward. Your case is closed once you accept a settlement offer and sign settlement documents with the insurance company. You cannot ask for more money for the same injuries later.

Here, we discuss what goes into a proper settlement to cover your damages fully.

The Settlement Offer Takes Your Past and Future Expenses into Consideration

Outlining your current and future expenses is crucial to obtaining an accurate settlement.

This includes your current and future medical expenses, including rehabilitation and physical therapy, past, current, and future lost wages, and — if applicable — your diminished earning capacity.

We understand that personal injuries often cost our clients money for several months or even years after they happen. When negotiating with the insurance company, and when applicable to the claim, we ensure these expenses are considered. Future damages may not apply to all cases.

The Settlement Offer Includes Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages typically address the intangible losses and harm you have suffered. Unlike medical bills and lost wages, these losses are not easily quantifiable in monetary terms but must be accurately calculated and considered as part of your settlement when applicable.

Non-economic damages may include:

• Disfigurement or Permanent Disability.
• Emotional Distress.
• Loss of Consortium.
• Loss of Enjoyment of Life.
• Pain and Suffering.

At Hanning & Sacchetto, our Whittier personal injury lawyers believe you deserve fair compensation for your subjective losses and hardships and will present those figures to the insurance company as part of our negotiations.

The Settlement Offer Wasn’t the First One You Received

It is incredibly rare for an insurance company to submit the best offer on the first try. Insurers know that injury victims deserve significant compensation, but that’s not what they want to give.

By offering quick and low settlements in the injured person’s time of need, they hope they will accept them and, in turn, forgo their right to get fair compensation.

Always be wary of an unprompted settlement offer from the insurance company, and never accept one without speaking to a skilled California personal injury lawyer first.

Sharing All the Details of Your Claim Can Help Determine Your Overall Compensation Needs

At Hanning & Sacchetto, our Whittier personal injury attorneys genuinely partner with our clients to ensure we comprehensively understand the circumstances surrounding the accident to represent their best interests and build a strong case effectively.

To do so, we encourage our clients to be forthcoming with all details about their cases, no matter how trivial they may seem. Details that may seem insignificant could be crucial in determining liability and potential compensation.

Being transparent from the beginning helps prevent surprises and strengthens our ability to anticipate and address challenges. This includes identifying potential risks, developing strategies to mitigate them, and ensuring our client’s rights are fully protected throughout the legal process.

Contact Our Personal Injury Attorney in Whitter Today

If you have been injured in an accident caused by negligence in California, call (562) 698-6446 to schedule a free consultation with our experienced personal injury attorneys in Whittier today to discuss the full scope of your settlement needs. We can help you understand your legal rights and options to pursue the compensation and benefits you are entitled to by law so you can focus on getting your life back on track.