If I was inured and filed a claim but the insurance company is only offering me $500 for pain and suffering, what should I do?

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If I was inured and filed a claim but the insurance company is only offering me $500 for pain and suffering, what should I do?

Asked on January 20, 2015 under Personal Injury, Wisconsin

Answers:

SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 9 years ago | Contributor

If it is your own insurer (unlikely; in this situation, it's usually the insurer for the person who injured you), you could sue them for breach of contract--for not honoring their obligation to pay you what they were supposed to pay under the terms of your policy. You would need to show what they are supposed to pay under your policy and the extent of your injuries or disability.

If it's the insurer for the person who injured you, you would sue that person (you sue them, not their insurer; the insurer does not owe an obligation to you, but rather to their insured, and steps in if that person is sued to defend them). To win, you'd have to show that the other person was at fault; caused your injury; and the extent of the injury.

The problem is, a lawsuit is the only way to get more money than is being offered. Even if you act as your own attorney, you'd still need medical testimony, and medical experts (e.g. doctors) can be expensive to hire--you might spend more on the lawsuit than you'd get back.


IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.

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