Most insurance companies look out for their profit margins and not clients. They train their employees to resolve claims as quickly and cheaply as possible. These same employees also receive raises and bonuses for resolving claims quickly and for low amounts. Insurance companies know that the earlier they settle a claim, the less they have to pay.

Insurance companies take advantage of people who do not have attorney representation by offering quick settlements for the cost of medical bills plus a small amount on top. The insurance company is wants to settle quickly before you know the full extent of your injuries. If the insurance company settles your case days or weeks after your accident, and you require further follow up treatment or therapy, have delayed onset of pain or mental anguish, or other serious conditions develop from the accident, you will not receive any compensation for those issues. The insurance company knows that you may experience problems in the weeks that follow a car accident and they purposefully try to stop you from claiming the full extent of your injuries by settling your claim in the first few days or weeks.

These are typically large advertising law firms or smaller general practice firms without frequent courtroom success. It is easy to get a quick settlement for a personal injury case. Fast and fair settlements are unusual. The insurance companies love fast settlements because they know they will be able to settle for pennies on the dollar. Be cautious of attorneys who offer to get you money fast in order to get you to sign their contract.

Respectable Personal Injury Attorneys do not want to put their clients through trial unless absolutely necessary. However, the trial attorneys that have success in the courtroom typically have more negotiation power resulting in higher settlement offers because insurance companies want to avoid trial costs. In result, settlement offers early on are typically higher when working with trial attorneys. Ask attorneys about their trial success before you sign a contract.

American Bar Association prohibits a lawyer from soliciting professional employment by live person-to-person contact when a significant motive for the lawyer’s doing so is the lawyer’s or the law firm’s pecuniary gain. A lawyer’s communication is not a solicitation if it is in response to a request for information or is automatically generated in response to electronic searches.

“Live person-to-person contact” means in-person, face-to-face, live telephone and other real-time visual or auditory person-to-person communications where the person is subject to a direct personal encounter without time for reflection.

The person, who may already feel overwhelmed by the circumstances giving rise to the need for legal services, may find it difficult to fully evaluate all available alternatives with reasoned judgment and appropriate self‑interest in the face of the lawyer’s presence and insistence upon an immediate response.

You should be concerned with your recovery and let an experienced trial attorney deal with the insurance company. Respectable trial attorneys will maximize the dollars in your pocket.