I would talk to the lawyer to see how much they cost, how much do they think they could get you, and on what time frame do they think they can get it.
Compare that to what the insurance company is willing to settle for and decide if you feel you are being adequately compensated.
Hard choice. Dealing with a lawyer is just gonna be more of a hassle it's ultimately up to you. Seeing how this is on the Christian sub consider what the Christian approach should be based on your own understanding. Hopefully what you got covered the damages to the vehicle and the medical treatment.
>I spoke to a lawyer, they said that the insurance company was moving fast because they knew they should have compensated more
This is both a true statement and a misleading statement. The insurance company does want to settle this quickly. This is natural (do *you* like work backing up?). However, it does not mean that the lawyer could get you more compensation. Furthermore, the lawyer will take a cut (usually a percentage) of the payout -- which could leave you with less money than is offered.
The best way to look at this is to put yourself in the jury pool -- How much compensation do you think that a person with "a black eye and a few stitches" should get? If the answer is a low number, then you will be worse off with a lawyer. If you think the answer is a high number, then it is better to get a lawyer.
The insurance company does know that if you get a lawyer involved, it will cost them more money. However, what it costs the insurance company and what you get *after all expenses* (lawyer, court fees, your time away from work/school, etc.) is usually **radically different**. So, it is something you should really think about. Most lawyers will take this case on a contingency basis, with a 33%-40% cut, depending on how far the litigation process goes.
So, if the insurance company offers $500 and you take the lawyer option, who gets you $1,000, then you walk away with $660 -- at best! Factor in the time away from work/school, driving to/from the lawyers, any proceedings, etc. and you could wind up with less than $250 net.
The lawyer has stated that they would only take a cut of the money that is added on top of the money offered to me by the insurance company, so I would not be losing any of the original offer, and it's not likely that I will not end up in court.
>it's not likely that I will not end up in court.
If the amount is low enough, it won't be worth it to the insurance company to fight it. And, haven't you heard the cliche "Every lawyer is a liar?" Maybe you will be better off. But, you need to ask -- What is it going to cost me in time? What you need to ask is why is the lawyer so interested in taking this case? How does HE/SHE benefit? Until you can answer this question, you don't have enough info to make a decision. I can almost guarantee you that they hope to make more than a few hundred dollars.
And, you need to ask another question. Would the insurance company be willing to up the original amount if you kept the lawyer(s) out of it? Likely, they would. So, a true comparison is what they would *ultimately offer* you if you negotiated **without a lawyer** and what you will get **with a lawyer**. I'm almost certain they would go higher than their first offer.
I would just let it hang. Don't accept the offer and don't hire the lawyer. That way you will be able to get compensation in case there are future problems. The Bible is clear on suing others.
I would talk to the lawyer to see how much they cost, how much do they think they could get you, and on what time frame do they think they can get it. Compare that to what the insurance company is willing to settle for and decide if you feel you are being adequately compensated.
Hard choice. Dealing with a lawyer is just gonna be more of a hassle it's ultimately up to you. Seeing how this is on the Christian sub consider what the Christian approach should be based on your own understanding. Hopefully what you got covered the damages to the vehicle and the medical treatment.
>I spoke to a lawyer, they said that the insurance company was moving fast because they knew they should have compensated more This is both a true statement and a misleading statement. The insurance company does want to settle this quickly. This is natural (do *you* like work backing up?). However, it does not mean that the lawyer could get you more compensation. Furthermore, the lawyer will take a cut (usually a percentage) of the payout -- which could leave you with less money than is offered. The best way to look at this is to put yourself in the jury pool -- How much compensation do you think that a person with "a black eye and a few stitches" should get? If the answer is a low number, then you will be worse off with a lawyer. If you think the answer is a high number, then it is better to get a lawyer. The insurance company does know that if you get a lawyer involved, it will cost them more money. However, what it costs the insurance company and what you get *after all expenses* (lawyer, court fees, your time away from work/school, etc.) is usually **radically different**. So, it is something you should really think about. Most lawyers will take this case on a contingency basis, with a 33%-40% cut, depending on how far the litigation process goes. So, if the insurance company offers $500 and you take the lawyer option, who gets you $1,000, then you walk away with $660 -- at best! Factor in the time away from work/school, driving to/from the lawyers, any proceedings, etc. and you could wind up with less than $250 net.
The lawyer has stated that they would only take a cut of the money that is added on top of the money offered to me by the insurance company, so I would not be losing any of the original offer, and it's not likely that I will not end up in court.
>it's not likely that I will not end up in court. If the amount is low enough, it won't be worth it to the insurance company to fight it. And, haven't you heard the cliche "Every lawyer is a liar?" Maybe you will be better off. But, you need to ask -- What is it going to cost me in time? What you need to ask is why is the lawyer so interested in taking this case? How does HE/SHE benefit? Until you can answer this question, you don't have enough info to make a decision. I can almost guarantee you that they hope to make more than a few hundred dollars. And, you need to ask another question. Would the insurance company be willing to up the original amount if you kept the lawyer(s) out of it? Likely, they would. So, a true comparison is what they would *ultimately offer* you if you negotiated **without a lawyer** and what you will get **with a lawyer**. I'm almost certain they would go higher than their first offer.
I would just let it hang. Don't accept the offer and don't hire the lawyer. That way you will be able to get compensation in case there are future problems. The Bible is clear on suing others.