If the pain and loss from your car accident weren't bad enough, now you are stuck spending endless hours on the phone arguing with your insurance company trying to negotiate a fair settlement. Unfortunately, most insurance companies will put off settling for as long as possible and then make you a lowball offer in hopes you will jump at the chance to finish the settlement process and get on with your life. 

Rather than accepting a lower settlement than you deserve to cover your losses from the accident, use these tips to get the amount you deserve.

Know Once You Settle with the Insurance Company You Can't Go Back and Ask for More

When you are trying to settle your accident claim, it is vital you understand that once you sign a settlement and are paid by the insurance company, that's it for the process. You cannot file a lawsuit for future medical bills or for any other losses you may discover from the accident. For this reason, you should negotiate for the biggest settlement possible and make sure you include all of your lost wages, medical bills, and future needs to make yourself whole post-accident.

Aim High so You Have Plenty of Room to Negotiate

When you are in a financial negotiation where you are selling something, your goal is always to get as much money as possible. When you are buying something, then you are trying to get what you want for the least amount of money you can. 

When settling your accident claim, your goal is to get as much money as you can and to cover all of your losses. When you start the negotiation, and the insurance company gives you a lowball number, start with a much higher number when you counter their offer. While you won't likely get your requested amount, you will leave yourself plenty of room for negotiation.

Retain a Highly-Skilled Personal Injury Attorney to Finish the Negotiation for You

As a last important tip, rather than continuing the fight yourself, instead, hire a personal injury lawyer who can fight the insurance company for you. Insurance adjusters are professionals in the art of negotiation. Thankfully, so are personal injury attorneys. You can use this fact to your advantage and retain an attorney to negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf. Cases negotiated by lawyers tend to garner much higher settlement amounts.

For more information, contact your local car accident attorney.