Be Careful… three days after you have a car wreck, you are contacted by the other person’s insurance company offering you a FAST personal injury settlement . You have not finished your medical care and are not exactly sure what your medical future holds. Nevertheless, fast money sounds great and they dangle it in front of you like a worm on a hook to a hungry fish.
Many times, after a car wreck here in Georgia, the insurance company will contact you about a FAST settlement. Some Georgia law firms even advertise on TV about how FAST they can get your money. While fast money sounds enticing, it may not be the best thing for you.
If you settle fast and then find out later that there is something terribly wrong with you that you did not realize when you settled your claim fast and early it’s too late. I have received multiple phone calls from people saying, “I didn’t realize my injuries were so bad when I accepted the check from the insurance company early in the case, what can I do now.” The answer is NOTHING. It’s too late. Once you settle your case, it’s over.
WHY DO INSURANCE COMPANIES OFFER FAST MONEY?
It’s a great deal for the insurance company. They have done the math and realize that what appears to be a minor injury in the beginning can mushroom into a huge claim costing them millions. If they can get out early and cheap, they cut their risk and their losses. It’s good business for them but a bad deal for you.
A REAL LIFE CASE
I was contacted by a client, I’ll call her Sherry, (not her real name) after her car was rear-ended by another driver. Sherry was sitting still, waiting to turn into a convenience store to get gas when the other car (actually it was a truck) hit her at full highway speed. Though her car was totally demolished, she was able to get out, stand up and call her husband to come pick her up and take her to the hospital. She didn’t want to leave in an ambulance, she was scared and she wanted her husband to come take her to the hospital.
Sherry wasn’t bleeding, no broken bones sticking out of her body. She was able to stand up and talk with the police officer, so he allowed her to bypass the ambulance and ride with her husband to the hospital.
Upon arrival at the ER and a few X-Rays Sherry was diagnosed with “whiplash” and “soft tissue injuries”. Sherry contacted my firm and though she was only diagnosed with a whiplash, when I heard of the extent of damage done to her car, I agreed to accept her case.
Over the next several months, as Sherry started receiving medical care it became abundantly clear that what was wrong with Sherry was more than just a “whiplash”. The injuries she received in the car wreck eventually required Sherry to undergo multiple neck surgeries by some of the finest orthopaedic surgeons in Atlanta.
Her medical care lasted over 2 years. As we prepared for trial and went through the discovery process it was abundantly clear that the original “whiplash” diagnosis was only the tip of the iceberg. Once the insurance company for the at-fault party became aware of the damage their client had caused Sherry, they became extremely anxious to settle the claim, avoid a jury trial, and pay FULL value. This claim eventually did settled prior to trial for a very large six figure number.
Had Sherry settled quickly for some low number offered her in a “bum’s rush” offer after she was originally diagnosed with a whiplash, she would have slammed the door on her ability to receive FULL value for her Georgia personal injury claim.
CONCLUSION
In Georgia you have two (2) years before the statute of limitations expires in a personal injury action. There is no RUSH to settle your claim early. Early on, the most important thing is to get a proper diagnosis and proper medical care for your injuries. After that, it will be time to settle your claim for the FULL value. If an insurance company is pressing you to settle your car accident or even your workers’ compensation claim fast, call the Keener Law Firm for a fast, free, confidential evaluation of your claim: 770–955-3000.
