I was thinking about making a compensation claim for a motorbike accident, but I have just been offered €5,000 for my injuries, should I accept?
An offer of settlement for a compensation claim for a motorbike accident may appear to be highly tempting. However it should always be remembered that such offers should not be accepted without first consulting a personal injury solicitor and having them assess the circumstances surrounding your injury in a motorbike accident. There are times when liability for an accident from a motorbike crash are beyond doubt, and for this reason the insurance company of the negligent party could provide you with an offer of compensation to quickly resolve your claim. With such claims, the risk of being undercompensated is high and for this reason extreme caution should always be exercised regarding your motorbike accident compensation.
Such unsolicited offers can come before the victim of an accident has even considered a compensation claim for a motorbike accident, and at a time in which your injuries have had a major impact upon your life the compensation may appear to be highly welcome. But as mentioned, there is a strong possibility that this offer does not reflect the true value of your injury in a motorbike accident in an effort by the insurance company to save upon money. The insurance company is uninterested in ensuring that you receive a fair sum of compensation for your injuries, and merely wish to settle your claim for an accident from a motorbike crash as quickly and cheaply as possible. Should you accept an offer of motorbike accident compensation which transpires to be insufficient for your needs, you will be unable to return to the insurance company seeking more.
A personal injury solicitor will assess the amount of compensation you should be entitled to for your compensation claim for a motorbike accident, which will include the following elements. General damages will consider the injury in a motorbike accident you have sustained and the impact it is likely to have, while compensation for psychological trauma will be awarded if it can be verified by a qualified psychiatrist. Your motorbike accident compensation will then include special damages compensation for the expenses you have incurred, as well as the income you lost because of being unable to work. Finally you can claim loss of amenity for any deterioration in your quality of life ever since your accident from a motorbike crash.
Not all direct offers of motorbike accident compensation are inadequate, and it is worth remembering that other factors — such as contributory negligence — may mean that €5,000 compensation is a fair settlement. However it is difficult to verify this without having a solicitor assess your accident from a motorbike crash, and for this reason you are advised to seek the advice of a solicitor before accepting or rejecting such an offer. Upon examining your injury in a motorbike accident, your solicitor can inform you whether €5,000 is fair compensation and — if not — renegotiate this amount on your behalf. A claim for compensation can become complex very easily, and in order to ensure that your compensation claim for a motorbike accident is not time-barred by the Statute of Limitations, you are advised to contact a personal injury solicitor at the earliest opportunity.