If you have suffered whiplash in an accident, the insurance company of the driver at fault may contact you offering a quick settlement of your claim. We can understand why this may be tempting to accept: you have just been involved in a traumatic accident, you are coming to terms with your injuries and you would like to put the whole matter behind you. However, we strongly advise that you do not agree to any offers of settlement without seeking independent advice from a legal expert.

Should you accept an offer made by an insurance company?

We regularly hear from whiplash victims who have been offered a quick settlement by the third party insurers. Ordinarily their first question is: should I accept the offer? Time and time again our legal advisors will say no, do not accept the offer. Understandably, the next question that follows is: why not?

Put simply, it is because the third party insurers want you to accept their offer because it is convenient for them. Not only will it save them time defending a claim, it will also save them a considerable amount of money. Indeed, they will offer you a settlement that is much lower than the amount to which you are legally entitled. Remember, you deserve financial redress for your pain, suffering, loss of amenity and loss of expenses. This can add up to a considerable amount of money and an insurance company will do their best to avoid paying it.

What should you do instead?

Therefore, if you are offered a settlement by an insurance company, you should not agree to anything until you have spoken to an independent legal expert. The likelihood is that a solicitor specialising in whiplash claims will advise you to reject the offer and instead begin a claim against the driver at fault. Taking legal action with the help of a solicitor will ensure that you are awarded an appropriate sum of compensation that duly reflects your injuries. The amount obtained by your solicitor on your behalf will be much higher than any direct offers made by a third party insurer.

Contact 1stClaims today

To claim the compensation to which you are rightfully entitled, you need to speak to a legal expert as soon as possible. At 1stClaims we have a team of dedicated solicitors who are ready to help you obtain financial redress for your whiplash injury. In the majority of cases claims must be made within three years of the event, so please do not hesitate when contacting us.