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Myth 1:<\/strong> You need a lawyer for every accident.<\/em><\/p>\n TRUTH:<\/strong> Absolutely not. \u00a0Many accidents do not require a lawyer at all. \u00a0You may end up with more money in your pocket if you settle the case yourself. \u00a0But only if you understand the process.<\/p>\n If you’ve done some negotiating before (and almost everyone has) use those skills here. \u00a0You should use whatever negotiating tactic has worked for you in the past. \u00a0For some people, that’ll mean being nice and sweet and trying to connect with the insurance adjuster on a personal level– don’t be afraid to ask about their children or their hobbies. \u00a0But if you’re more comfortable being businesslike, then do that. \u00a0The key in negotiating is to do it in a way that you’re comfortable with. \u00a0Because working in a way that makes you comfortable will help you project confidence, which is always helpful in these situations.<\/p>\n We also recommend writing down your key points ahead of time, so that you can refer to them when you talk to the adjuster. \u00a0In negotiation, it always pays to prepare as thoroughly as possible.<\/p>\n Adjusters have supervisors. \u00a0If you’re not making headway with your adjuster, ask to speak to their supervisor. \u00a0Don’t be rude about it, because most supervisors will start out wanting to protect their adjuster– you’ll have to be able to explain to the supervisor why it wasn’t working out with the adjuster.<\/p>\n Myth 2:<\/strong> You have just hit the jackpot by getting injured. \u00a0This is the “lawsuit lottery!” You will be buying a new car and a Hawaiian vacation with the money you get from the insurance company.<\/em><\/p>\n TRUTH:<\/strong> \u00a0The purpose of the legal system is to compensate a person who was injured by someone else’s carelessness. \u00a0The purpose is not to make an injured person rich. \u00a0This happens very rarely–if ever. \u00a0Most of the multimillion-dollar cases you read about either (a) are not entirely true (b) had the verdicts radically reduced by the judge, or (c) the amount of money awarded was the amount actually needed by the injured person. \u00a0(You know how much medical care costs; if a person has been paralyzed and now requires round-the-clock care for lifetime, $5 million probably will not cover it).<\/p>\n If someone has injured you, then his or her insurance company should pay the amount of money necessary to make up for what you have lost. \u00a0But the law does not entitle you to more than that. \u00a0If you are looking to get rich quick, you will be sorely disappointed. \u00a0If you are looking for fairness and justice, you might, with a lot of hard work, get what you deserve. \u00a0Remember, the adjusters will look at medical records and property damages and other finite numbers when making an offer– you cannot make unreasonable demands without the adjusters realizing they are unreasonable.<\/p>\n