Originally Posted by
meagank
i think also at times it will depend on what the other guys coverage is of what they will pay some insurances will onley pay a certin amount of what the party has on there policy liei for example if they have 1.00 the car insurance will pay the 1.00 and if it is 50.000 then they will pay that amount and if it goves over thoes amounts then it stops i think i would frist find out what kind of coverage the other party has and then you know you would not be asking fore more then they would be willing to pay also alot of times when you settle if they have been paying your medical bills this will be deducted from your settlment
This is not correct - medical bills are not deducted from the settlement. They are different line items.
You get $X for medical bills, $X for pain and suffering, $X for for other damages. You don't get one lump sum with deductions.
The health insurance carrier also has an automatic lien against any settlement amount for their out-of-pocket expenses.
Asking for more than the insurance policy is not a problem - insurance companies realize people try to find out policy limits so that they can sue for that dollar amount and so insurance companies don't hand out this information.
Your injuries are worth what they are worth - a higher policy limit does not change the "value" of the injuries. That's the cold blooded way to explain it.
People sue for millions all the time and settle for whatever coverage is available.
I will also add that some portions of settlements are taxable. Others are not. That's why a good Attorney will prepare a settlement agreement slanted in favor of his client.