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What Is a Pre-Medical Settlement Offer?
What is a pre-medical settlement offer?
A pre-medical settlement offer is an offer of compensation from the defendant’s insurance company to the injured party. The offer is typically made as soon as liability for the accident is admitted, and before the injured person has had their injuries assessed by a medical professional. Hence the term ‘pre-med’ offer.
In practice, a pre-med offer would work in the following way in the scenario of a road traffic accident:
- You’re injured in a road traffic accident that wasn’t your fault.
- The driver responsible for causing the collision informs their insurance company.
- The insurer then contacts the injured party, as they anticipate that the person injured may make a claim against their client.
- The insurer makes a settlement offer known as a ‘pre-medical offer’.
- The injured party can choose to accept or reject the offer.
Why do insurance companies make Pre-Medical offers?
Ultimately insurance companies make pre-medical offers to protect their own interests, and to save themselves time and money dealing with compensation claims.
If you make a personal injury claim for the injuries that you have sustained in a road traffic accident, accident at work, or a slip, trip or fall in a public place, your solicitor will request that you attend a medical assessment from an independent medical expert. This is to determine:
- An exact diagnosis of your injuries or illness.
- An accurate time frame on your recovery period.
- The seriousness of your injuries.
- What the long term health implications could be for your health.
- What further medical treatment and rehabilitation may be needed to aid your recovery.
Through having the answers to the above your solicitor is able to accurately calculate the correct compensation settlement amount for you. The details of the medical report also allow your solicitor to negotiate with the defendant’s insurance company to reach an appropriate settlement.
The medical report is paid by the defendant’s insurer .
Through making a settlement offer without any medical evidence, the insurer is able to make an offer considerably less than what they would need to if the claim ended up in court.
What does it mean to accept a pre-medical offer?
Many claimants are often tempted to accept a pre-medical offer as it means that they will receive a settlement a lot quicker and will not need to attend a medical. It is, however, important to recognise that by accepting a pre-medical offer, you are likely to agree to receive a compensation amount less than you are entitled to.
Through accepting a pre-medical offer you are also unable to recover other losses that can influence the amount of compensation that you otherwise could have factored into claim, including:
- Loss of earnings
- Travel expenses
- Medical costs and rehabilitation i.e. physiotherapy
- Care costs
Through making a claim with a specialist personal injury law firm, all of the above will be factored into calculating your final settlement amount. Meaning that successful claimants are not left financially out-of-pocket due to the negligent actions of someone else.
It is important to note that should you accept a pre-medical offer you will not be able to pursue a claim in the future.
What does it mean if I reject a pre-medical offer?
If you choose to reject a pre-medical offer but would still like to seek compensation for your injuries, you should contact a personal injury law firm for legal advice. Most solicitors will assess your case free of charge and if they believe that your case is likely to be successful they will take it on, on a ‘No Win, No Fee’ basis. Read our guide on ‘How to choose the right personal injury lawyer?’ for more information.
Do not hesitate to contact us on 0344 854 7000 for advice on claiming the compensation that you deserve. You can also fill out our free enquiry form or email us at info@true.co.uk for more information.
