[DARISC]

Todd, glad you're OK!

FWIW, from my experience, since you have injuries, their ins. co. WILL soon make you an offer to settle. Do NOT take their first offer as you are still seeing your doctor (make it a point to be).

The adjuster will go away and WILL come back soon to see if you are ready to accept their first offer, plus whatever additional med. bills have accrued. Tell them, absolutely not. Bear in mind that the adjuster REALLY wants you to sign off and will ask how much you want.

If the original settlement offer was, e.g. $3500, including all your med. exp., say, No way! My neck and back injuries may come back to haunt me in another 8 months and you won't be checking on me then! My idea of a fair settlement including all my pain and suffering is $12000! I really hope you're not going to force me to get my lawyer involved in this! Whether or not it will be visible to you, the adjuster will flinch - they do NOT want a suit in such a small (to them) money matter.

The adjuster will tell you they'll have to get back to you, and WILL get back to you with either what you asked for (in which case you asked for too little) or some figure MUCH higher than their lowball first offer.

That's the way they work. BTDT four different times after being involved in injury accidents, none of which were my fault. My settlements ranged from one and a half to three times the original offers (injuries not that serious and all small potatoes, but MUCH bigger potatoes than if I'd settled right away)

A couple months ago, while pulling into a diagonal parking lot space, a lady backing out across the aisle backed into my rear corner doing $2100 damage.

She asked if anyone was hurt and apologized profusely. She was insured with State Farm, we exchanged info.and parted company. I did NOT call her ins. Agent, I called MY agent (AAA). My agent asked if there were injuries (none) and asked if I'd spoken with the other ins. Co. I said no, he said, Good. I'd like to record your description of what happened and well contact them and take care of everything.

I say, Great! Oh, I got an estimate from the body shop I'd like to have repair it. They said they're on your list. Fine, he said, but you needn't have gotten an estimate, we do our own. You can give them your car now if you like. You're covered, whether or not the other party admits to fault. I'll call the ins. co. And get back to you.

He got back to me that same day, the other ins. co. accepted fault, and it was a done deal. BTW, my agent told me that, had they denied fault, my co., based on my recorded statement would have fought the case for me.

Bottom line, I'll always go to my ins. co. first and expect them to take care of me. And, if injured, will NEVER take the first settlement offer.