I was involved in a car accident a week ago as a passenger. The car was totaled per insurance agent. I went to the dr. and was given pain medicine and told that I had inflammation in my shoulders and swelling and pain in my hand(it hit and cracked the windshield). I am fine other than swelling and pain especially in that hand. What should I do. Insurance agent says they will pay above and beyond medical. But referred to my injuries as bumps and bruises. It hurt when it happened and hurts now. I'm a little paranoid when I drive now. How much is suitable for this accident in a settlement? I live in Tennessee. The other driver has admitted fault and was given a ticket at the site.

Call a lawyer that will handle your case without any charges to you unless he can make the insurance company pay. Then he will probably get one third of anything you are awarded.

The other persons insurance is paying though the liablity section of the insurance policy. What they are to pay for is actual medical injuries and any future medical claims for this.

What you need to do is discuss this with your doctor and see if they believe there is any future medical attention going to be needed.

It is common for people after a serious accident to be worried about driving, but this gets better with time.

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Originally Posted by ramurphy

.... referred to my injuries as bumps and bruises. How much is suitable for this accident in a settlement?

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Hello ramurphy:

How much will make you happy? Please don't misunderstand my question. Getting hit is NOT winning the lottery, so I'm not talking about making you wealthy - I'm talking about satisfying you. You do sound like a person who innately understands this, but many people read this stuff.

Of course, they say you've only got bumps and bruises. They're the ones who have to pay. They're NOT looking out for YOUR benefit. They're looking out for THEIR OWN. Having said that, there is a formula that is used to come up with a figure for pain and suffering. I don't know what it is. It's a percentage of the total loss.

Keep in mind, that the formula is only a guideline. IF you're hurt MORE than "average" then you're entitled to more. Assuming that your injuries were "average", and that you're a reasonable person, the amount YOU think you should be compensated is probably real close to the formula.

The problem is, you're going to have to negotiate for it, because they're not going to step up to the plate and offer you what you'll eventually get. If you're sharp, you can net more than you could if you hired a lawyer. If you're not sharp, hire a lawyer.

excon

Whatever you do know that insurance companies always look to the lowest figure they can settle for and will do anything to make it seem like they are right. As excon says, if your really sharp you negotiate with them, but a good lawyer will earn his money and get a settlement for you and has experience. It doesn't hurt to talk to one before you do anything. It's a free consultation, and the insurance company has many lawyers and a bunch of tricks.

No lawyer is going to take your case if the only injuries are "bump and bruises". Don't get your hopes up.