Losing a loved one in a fatal crash or accident caused by someone else’s negligence is traumatic enough. The last thing grieving families need is the additional frustration of having to battle aggressive insurance adjusters aiming to low-ball any settlement offer. Unfortunately, this remains a common tactic across the insurance industry, including in accident cases resulting in fatalities in Florida. A Panama City Beach personal injury attorney may be able to help in such a scenario.
The stakes could not be higher for families in such scenarios. Settlement monies may be needed to cover extensive medical bills prior to death, funeral and burial costs, loss of financial support if the deceased was a breadwinner, and more. Florida statutes allow eligible families to pursue wrongful death claims against negligent parties, but securing fair compensation often proves challenging without legal guidance.
Why Do Insurance Companies Low-Ball?
Like any business, insurance providers aim to maximize profits and minimize expenses. By making unreasonably low offers initially, adjusters test if families will accept a low offer due to lack of knowledge of case value drivers or simply to swiftly put the matter behind them in their grief. Since most people lack experience negotiating fatal injury claims, this strategy often succeeds. Companies thereby reduce settlement payouts and boost their own bottom lines.
Countering Low-Ball Tactics
The best way families can fight back against low-ball opening offers is by retaining an experienced Florida wrongful death attorney from Monge & Associates to manage settlement negotiations. Savvy lawyers like us understand the components that properly compensate families in such cases. These include calculations for financial support losses based on the deceased’s earning potential over a normal lifespan, quality of life losses based on relationships and activities, pre-death medical expenses, funeral costs, and more.
Skilled wrongful death attorneys in Florida also recognize questionable arguments companies often make to minimize settlement offers. For example, insurers may claim the deceased had “diminished future earnings potential” based on age or health conditions, when neither should reduce fair compensation if supporting medical proof and vocational assessments indicate otherwise. Competent counsel can refute such assertions and demand higher settlement figures backed by factual data on case value.
If companies refuse to negotiate reasonably, the wrongful death attorneys from Monge & Associates take the next step of having their own valuation experts calculate losses and damages to present to insurers. Should adjusters still refuse to make appropriate offers, our lawyers then prepare to file a wrongful death lawsuit detailing the factors warranting higher compensation under Florida statutes.
The Bottom Line
Florida families losing loved ones due to another party’s provable negligence deserve accountability and fair restitution. But securing adequate settlements requires understanding company tactics and leveraging experienced legal advocacy. By hiring a knowledgeable Florida attorney like us from the outset, grieving families gain the best ally possible when battling against initial insurance low-balls. Counsel levels the playing field and fights for the maximum compensation families both need and deserve.
We have offices in 32 locations and 19 states, including Florida, Missouri, and Illinois. Call now for a free Consultation on (888) 477-0597 if you have lost a loved one in a fatal accident in Florida.