If you get injured in Oklahoma, there may be severe financial consequences. Medical bills and lost wages can affect your finances immediately, and long-term care and reduced earning potential can create a monetary burden for years to come. This situation is even more frustrating for individuals who weren’t at fault for their injuries: drunk driving victims, neglected nursing home residents, or users of a defective product.
Generally, injury victims are told to file an insurance claim to receive compensation. But this process can be complicated and stressful, and insurance providers don’t always offer fair settlements. Sometimes, the only way to receive fair financial compensation is through a personal injury lawsuit.
The team of injury attorneys at Carr & Carr has helped many Oklahoma residents seek compensation via insurance claims or lawsuits. We’ll listen to your story and help you get the money you deserve to cover medical bills and other financial expenses. To schedule a free consultation, contact us online or call our OKC office at 405-691-1600.
Inadequate Insurance Settlements
Car or truck accidents are common causes of injuries in Oklahoma. If you’re injured in a car accident, one of the first things you should do is contact your insurance provider, even if you weren’t at fault (or were only partially at fault) for the accident. Under Oklahoma’s modified comparative fault laws, multiple parties can be liable in an accident, which can affect compensation via insurance claims and injury lawsuits.
Regardless of the exact circumstances of the accident, however, filing an insurance claim can often end the same way. The liable party’s insurance provider offers you an extremely low settlement for your injuries. In many cases, these lowball insurance offers aren’t enough to cover your initial medical bills, much less the cost of lost wages, ongoing treatments, and other financial consequences.
Insurance providers are businesses, and they will usually try to get away with paying as little as possible on a claim. Tring to negotiate an insurance settlement on your own can be a stressful experience.
High-Pressure Tactics
Unfortunately, insurance providers often use unsavory tactics to minimize the amount they pay on claims. The adjuster may try to rush through the process, making the victim feel like they must accept the first settlement offer immediately or risk losing the chance of any compensation. Another common tactic is using aggressive, “hard sell” language to try to pressure or guilt victims into accepting a low settlement offer.
It’s essential to remember that an insurance provider is a for-profit company. The adjuster assigned to your case may be a decent person, but their loyalty is to their employer, not to you. When you’re talking to anyone from an insurance company, remember that they’re working in the company’s best interest, not yours.
The Advantages of Hiring an Injury Attorney in Oklahoma
You may think that hiring an attorney automatically means you’ll have to file a personal injury lawsuit. But that’s not the case. A personal injury attorney can provide support and expertise to help you understand your options and let you know whether an insurance settlement offer is fair.
By calling an attorney after your injury, you can gain an ally for the entire claims process. Insurance providers are often more willing to offer high settlements to claimants who have legal representation. And if you do decide to file a personal injury lawsuit, having a lawyer with you from the beginning makes it easier to gather evidence and build a strong case.
Contact Carr & Carr for a Free Consultation
If you or a loved one is injured in a car accident, on someone else’s property, or by a defective product, you may be able to file an insurance claim. However, insurance providers often use high-pressure tactics and lowball settlement offers to limit the amount of money they have to pay to claimants. When you’re recovering from an injury, trying to get a fair insurance settlement after an accident just adds stress to an already difficult time.
At Carr & Carr, we know the ins and outs of insurance tactics. We’re dedicated to helping injured Oklahoma residents get the money they need to cover their medical bills and lost wages. If you’ve been injured, call us to schedule a free consultation. We’ll help you understand what options you have and help you seek fair compensation, whether that means filing an insurance claim or an injury lawsuit. To reach our Oklahoma City office, call 405-691-1600 or contact us online.
