Personal Injury claim. What is reasonable to ask for in compensation?

Ok, so in November of '06, i was in a car accident which totalled my car. the other drivers insurance company accepted 100% liability, then proceeded to SCREW me on the vehicle settlement. im still sour about this, but unfortunately HAD to have a way to get around, so i needed the money.

I sustained an injury to my lower back muscles, which causes me problems to this very day. I have shooting pain in my lower back anytime i sit upright for prolongued periods. It effects my work, and has limited the fields of work i can engage in. Its also severely changed my lifestyle, as i was a athlete before this all.

This week, after fighting just to find whats going on for over 3 months, and getting the run-around, they called me back and offered me $250 as a settlement. I was under the assumption that this number would be significantly higher. Im preparing a formal letter right now, and was curious if people had suggestions on a number to seek to begin negotiations...

My medical bills cost about 600, because i was unable to follow through on the physical therapy. it has now been a year and a half since the accident, and i would like to pursue them paying for treatment... is that possible as well?

You should have been receiving treatment if you were injured. See your settlement for pain and suffering is based on treatment costs. Your settlement is usually calculated after you are released from treatment. Then the figure is anywhere from 2 to 5 times the medical costs...this without an attorney. Now, if the figures are high enough and the insurance company balks you use an attorney...then the settlement figure jumps as high as 10 times your medical costs.

You don't always need an attorney unless your injuries are severe enough. You just have to play the game right.

You should contact a lawyer just for the outrageous offer of $250. Settlement for your injuries are usually some where around the $10,000 range. You should not accept less than $2500 on your own. If not get all your medical records and papers, then file a lawsuit in small claims court and with your state insurance dept. against the insurance co. They are suppose to pay all your medical bills by law. But you can still find a lawyer to take your injury case. Don't sign anything and keep calling lawyers until you find one who wants the fast buck.

You should NOT be discussing this with their insurance company alone. You need a lawyer, their lawyer works for THEM and it's his job to get the best deal for THEM.

You need somebody on your side, and just having a lawyer sitting in will probably up their offer.

At a minimum, you're entitled to whatever past and future medical help you need to get over the accident fully (or as fully as you can).

get a lawyer, you can't get fair treatment on your own but you will probably get a much larger sum even after paying them the third.

You need a lawyer ASAP! And most importantly you don't need to be in PT you need a chiropractor. I know this from personal experience. I was injured in a car accident and if it wasn't for the chiropractor I would be in constant pain. See on ASAP!

Robby,

You were right to turn down the settlement.

You need an excellent lawyer.
Don't get one of the TV advertising lawyers, ask some trusted people for recommendations. Make sure it's one that specializes in PI (personal injury).

Don't send your personal letter - you may say something that could hurt your own cause. The lawyer knows what to say.

"Ranger"