Soon after you alert the nursing home management to your claims of neglect, they will alert their management and insurance company. The insurance company may contact you right away, offering you a quick settlement. For many people in your position, this can create excitement. You hope this will put this tragic experience behind you and give your loved one the compensation they need so they do not have to pay out of their own pocket for any of the expenses they face.
Unfortunately, what the insurance company will not tell you is that they do not share your goals. The insurance company may pressure you to take the settlement and may even tell you this is their best offer. Think about why they are pressuring you to take the offer so quickly. It is in their best interest to settle right away, not yours or your elderly loved ones. The insurance company’s goal is to settle this case for as little money as possible.
Their best chance of doing that is as soon as possible after they learn of the neglect suffered by your loved one. Not only do they know that you are frantically searching for a new facility that takes up a great deal of your time, they also know you may not have had time yet to speak with a respected nursing home negligence lawyer. When you do not have a lawyer at your side, guiding you through the process, the insurance company may take advantage of that.
Working with a lawyer, you can receive experienced guidance about whether the settlement offer is sufficient for your loved one’s needs. Your lawyer can help you understand if the settlement funds will cover all of the financial needs your loved one faces. If you take the settlement offer, you may waive your right to bring any future claims against the insurance company for the neglect your loved one suffered.
This could mean your loved one has to pay for some or all of their expenses. Months or years later, when the settlement funds run dry, it will be too late to bring another claim. When this happens, you or your elderly loved one would be required to foot the bill for any additional medical bills or financial losses your loved one incurs.
Your lawyer may negotiate with the insurance company on your loved one’s behalf. Settlement negotiations can lead to a successful outcome for your loved one. By partnering with a skilled East Meadow nursing home abuse lawyer, you can lean on your lawyer’s experience of standing up to the big insurance companies and helping victims like your loved one recover for their injuries.
The most important part of bringing a claim is to help your loved one recover. When both you and they do not have to worry about the financial burden faced, you can focus on finding them a new facility and they can focus on their physical and emotional recovery. Working with a trusted lawyer could give you the leg up you need to hold the negligent party liable and collect maximum compensation for their suffering.