Settlement agreements are final and almost always include a provision that bars the claimant from seeking further compensation on the matter. Remember that virtually all insurance companies will use your desperate circumstances against you in negotiating settlement amounts. They may focus on covering your medical bills without mentioning the income you will lose or the cost of future medical care. There can also commonly be issues with your claim possibly exceeding a negligent party's insurance policy limits. In these cases, you need an attorney because you may need to file a lawsuit against the negligent party when their insurance policy does not provide adequate financial compensation to cover all of your losses. Accident victims must not just think about their current bills. Many other bills can arrive later, when they need physical therapy, or a person will not return to their regular job and must accept a lower-paying position. When a person does accept a settlement offer too soon, they will not have many options to pursue further compensation, although there can be options in some cases. Some victims can challenge the release given to the insurance company when they can prove that an insurer misrepresented the effects of the release, misrepresented the terms of the policy, or did not pay the settlement after a victim signed the release. In certain other cases, victims can file lawsuits against other negligent third parties involved in their cases.