People who are injured in truck accidents often need a long time to heal. After such a traumatic event, a settlement offer may seem like a quick way to get relief.

But accepting the first offer can lead to regret. Before you sign anything, you should know what’s at stake.

You can get help from the truck accident lawyers at Kurtz Riley Law Group to help you look beyond the surface of the offer.

If you make a hasty choice, you might lose money that you’ll need later. That’s why this piece talks about important factors you should think about before you agree to a settlement.

Understand the Extent of Your Injuries

You need to know exactly how badly you were hurt. That’s more than just the pain you’re in right now. Some accidents get worse over time or need surgery after many years.

You might settle for way too little if you don’t know what the long-term effects will be. A fair offer should take into account more than just what you need right now.

Review the Full Settlement Offer

Don’t just look at how much they’re offering. Take a look at what’s added and what’s not. Does it pay for your current medical bills, lost income, and future treatment?

It may be easy to accept a big number, but you may end up paying more in the end. Before you decide, you should always read the small print.

Think About Non-Economic Damages

Settlements often try to ignore things like pain, stress, and lost enjoyment of life. But these are also very important. Your daily life might not be the same after this incident.

Non-economic damages can make your claim worth more. Make sure they’re part of the offer you’re looking at.

Know If You Were Partially at Fault

The insurance company may say that you were partly to blame. If so, they’ll use that to reduce the payout. But what they say about what happened might not be true.

An experienced lawyer can help investigate what really happened. If blame hasn’t been proven, don’t settle for less.

Estimate Your Real Take-Home Amount

You don’t always get the amount you are offered. From that, you may have to pay taxes, hospital bills, or loan repayments. Some offers give you a lot less than you thought they would.

Before you agree, do the math. You need to know how much money will be left over for you after all the deductions.

Consider Whether More Money is Available

The insurance company may give you the full amount of your policy. If that’s the case, you might not be able to get more money. But if other people are liable, like a trucking business, there could be more.

You won’t know this until the case is fully investigated. That’s one more reason not to act quickly.

Understand the Strength of Your Case

There are strengths and weaknesses in every case. It helps you make better choices when you know both. If you have a good case, you might be able to get a bigger settlement or should go to court.

But if it’s not strong, going to court might not be worth it. It might be better to take a fair offer now than to risk everything later.