Negotiating Advice from a Lancaster Car Accident Lawyer

Negotiating a claim for damages with an insurance company can be quite a challenge, especially if you decide to do it without retaining legal counsel. An experienced Lancaster personal lawyer knows that there are a number of negotiating tactics that have proven effective in arriving at a fair compensation amount. However, before revealing one possible tactic, an overview of the accident statistics for Lancaster, California may serve to highlight the number of people who face this task daily.

Many Endure the Tragedy of Lancaster Car Accidents

Lancaster's car accidents occur with alarming frequency. In 2006, the California Highway Patrol's Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) reported that 15 people were killed and 802 were injured in city car crashes. Car accidents also killed five pedestrians and injured 41. A total of 26 bicyclists were injured in car collisions. And one motorcyclist was killed and 16 were injured. Drunk drivers caused six fatalities and 61 injuries. In 2008, 10 car collisions ended in as many deaths.

Waiting Until Adjuster "Shows His Hand" Can Be Advantageous

It's a simple tactic seldom employed by novice negotiators; yet it's used by some of the best Lancaster car accident lawyers to negotiate the largest possible sums in accident insurance claims: Wait until the insurance adjuster submits his initial offer--before you submit yours. Naturally, the adjuster's offer will be under what you have in mind. When you come back with your counter offer, include all the damages; list them, and total it all up with a real number.

Another tactic is to ask for the maximum amount of the insured driver's coverage. Even if you don't know what the maximum policy limit is, asking for it works two ways to your advantage: It fixes a demand that's within the limits set by the insurance company's liability, so it can surely be regarded as reasonable; it also opens up the insurance company to a judgment that could exceed the actual limits of the policy. The latter will give you some extra leverage in negotiations that are sure to follow. Let's say, for example, that a jury delivers a judgment that's above a policy's limits. In this case, the insurance company would be have to pay the entire award, regardless of the limits. This is one thing insurance companies will want to avoid.

Car Accident Lawyers Have Other Valuable Negotiating Techniques

The most experienced Lancaster car crash lawyers have acquired many critically important negotiating skills. These can be extremely valuable when car accident victims have to deal with insurance adjusters who negotiate car accident claims every day. All the more reason to seek the advice of an experienced car crash lawyer. The best lawyers offer no charge, no pressure consultations. In seeking their sage advice, you have nothing to lose and much to gain.

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