Beware Insurance Company Offers

It is quite common for an Insurance Company acting for Defendants in personal injury claims to try to settle the claim either before the injured party has had a chance to obtain their own legal advice, or before medical evidence has been obtained. These are called pre-medical offers.

It is important to remember that the Insurance Company is acting for the Defendant, not for you! It is in their interest is to pay the minimum in respect of a claim. A pre-medical offer is likely to be for an amount of money that is much lower than the claim is worth. Insurers make these offers to try and tempt injured people into making early settlements. This tactic saves insurers huge amounts of money but at the cost of the injured person.

A recent example illustrating this is a claim for a gentleman injured at work. He had discussions with the Defendant’s insurer before instructing me to act for him, and came to me with an offer of £10,000 having been made. After properly assessing the medical evidence and financial losses suffered it was possible to negotiate a settlement of over £50,000 for him. More than 5 times the Defendants offer.

If you have any queries or have been made a premedical offer, telephone Sandra Bostock at Ellis Jones on 01202 057713 or e-mail on Sandra.Bostock@ellisjones.co.uk