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Should lawyers always take the first settlement offer or push back? My car accident case taught me tough lesson.
After my fender bender in Austin, my lawyer pushed me to take the $8,000 offer from the other insurance company fast, but my buddy who went to court got $14,000 for the same thing. Which side is smarter - quick cash or waiting it out for more? Anyone else get advice that went against their gut?
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beth2762mo ago
That's a tough spot to be in, sorry you went through that. Sometimes lawyers just want the quick win for themselves instead of fighting for what's fair.
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taraross2mo ago
Because honestly, the lawyer's motivation matters a lot here. Was she pushing for a quick settlement because your case was weak, or because she wanted to wrap it up fast and move on to another client? My cousin got burned by a lawyer who kept saying "take the money" and it turned out the guy just didn't want to deal with the insurance adjuster for weeks. The question is, what did your lawyer actually tell you about why you should take the $8,000? Did she lay out the risks of going to trial, or was it more like a "trust me, just sign this"?
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leehall2mo ago
Not every lawyer who pushes a settlement is lazy or greedy though. Some cases are genuinely bad and taking $8k instead of $0 is the smart move. The bigger issue is whether the lawyer explained the specific evidence problems or just gave a vague "it's the best deal". Without knowing if there's a real legal reason to settle, it's hard to say if the lawyer was wrong or just realistic.
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