Did you know that car accident victims with attorneys get on average 3.5 times more personal injury settlement on bodily injury claims than people who settled with the insurance company without a lawyer? Source: 2014 Insurance Research Council Study: “Attorney Involvement in Auto Injury Claims”.
Specifically, the study reported that people with personal injury attorneys got on average a bodily injury payment of $16,658 dollars. And how low was it for people without an attorney? Low. Without an attorney, the average bodily injury settlement only was $4699 dollars. That’s a difference of $11,960 dollars.
The benefit of hiring an attorney doesn’t just stop with more money for your Tennessee or Georgia car wreck case.
Without a lawyer, the insurance company may delay settlement of your claim. A study by the Insurance Research Council survey revealed that 15% of respondents contacted an attorney because of delays in settlements.
Many companies delay paying claims just so they can reap greater profits on the interest of the money they are holding back from settling claims. This approach actually has a slogan: “Delay, Deny and Defend”. This approach was perfected by Allstate but other insurance companies now follow this slogan. You see Allstate figured out that it could wear down claimants by delaying settlements. They figured that if they delay settlements long enough, the claimant will be so desperate they will take a lower amount.
The study above also revealed that 28% of respondents believed that by hiring an attorney would help them get the highest settlement possible. They are correct.
Take the first step toward a fair settlement by consulting an experienced personal injury attorney who knows how to handle personal injury cases and will be truthful with you as whether he or she can help your case. Contact Dennis and King online, start a chat, or call our Chattanooga office at 423-892-5533 to schedule a free claim strategy session. We take cases on a contingency fee basis, so you pay no attorney fees until we win your case.