January 7, 2020

You were just going about your day. Then another driver hit you at an intersection. Now your car is damaged, your neck hurts, and the other driver’s insurance company is on the phone offering to “just work this out” with a quick check. Here’s what you need to know before you accept a dollar of it. TL;DR — QUICK SUMMARY Can you settle directly with the other driver’s insurance company? Technically yes. Should you do it alone? Almost never. The adjuster offering you money works for the insurer, and their job is to close your claim for as little as possible. Early offers rarely account for future medical care, lost wages, or injuries that surface days after the crash. Once you sign a release, you usually give up the right to ask for more, even if your condition gets worse. Under Florida Statute 95.11(3)(a), you generally have two years to file a lawsuit, but a signed release can end your claim long before that. A free consultation costs you nothing and tells you what your case is really worth before you decide. The Reyes Firm Did an Insurer Offer to “Work It Out” After a Tampa Crash? Find out what your case is really worth before you sign. Had a bad day? Contact Us Now 2 Years Florida injury filing deadline Fla. Stat. 95.11(3)(a) 14 Days Deadline to seek care for PIP benefits Fla. Stat. 627.736 50% Fault level that bars recovery in Florida Fla. Stat. 768.81 $0 Upfront cost with a contingency fee firm The Reyes Firm Can you work it out with the insurance company yourself? Technically, yes, and that’s exactly why so many people get shortchanged. Nothing in Florida law stops you from negotiating directly with the other driver’s insurer and accepting a settlement on your own. The myth isn’t whether you can. The myth is that doing it alone gets you a fair result. The person calling you is an adjuster, and the adjuster works for the insurance company. Their job is to close your claim for as little money as possible, because every dollar they save is a dollar that stays with their employer. They are friendly, they are professional, and they are negotiating against you the moment they pick up the phone. So the honest answer from The Reyes Firm, a Tampa personal injury law firm, is this: you can work it out yourself, but you usually shouldn’t, and the reason becomes obvious once you see how these offers are built. ⚠️ Deadline Warning: Under Florida Statute § 95.11(3)(a), you generally have two years from the date of your crash to file a personal injury lawsuit. But signing a settlement release ends your claim immediately, no matter how much time is left on that clock. Never sign before you know what your case is worth. Why does settling directly with the other driver’s insurer backfire? Because the first offer is almost always built around what’s visible on day one, not what your injury actually costs you over time. The dented bumper is easy to price. The herniated disc that flares up three weeks later is not, and by then you may have already cashed the check. Attorney Edward Reyes learned this firsthand. After his first car accident as a young man, someone handed him $400 and it seemed like enough. It wasn’t close. The repairs to his car ran over a thousand dollars, and the injuries he felt afterward were worth far more than that. He took the fast money before he understood the real damage, and that lesson is part of why he practices personal injury law today. That story plays out constantly. People try to handle it themselves, accept an early number to make the problem go away, and only later discover the offer didn’t cover their medical bills, their time off work, or the lasting effects of the crash. Once the release is signed, that money is final. 💡 Did You Know? Florida is a no-fault auto insurance state. Under Florida Statute § 627.736, your own Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage pays the first portion of your medical bills regardless of who caused the crash, up to a $10,000 minimum, but only if you seek treatment within 14 days. Settling with the other insurer doesn’t change those PIP deadlines. Source: Fla. Stat. § 627.736. Watch: Can You Work It Out With the Insurance Company? In this short video, attorney Edward Reyes busts the myth that you can simply “work it out” with the other side’s insurer, and shares the personal story that shaped how he handles these cases. If you have a settlement offer in front of you and aren’t sure what to do, The Reyes Firm offers free consultations, so you can call 833-4 BAD DAY before you respond. What is a fair settlement actually worth after a Tampa car accident? A fair settlement reflects everything the crash will cost you, not just the bills already on your kitchen table. A complete claim accounts for several categories most people overlook when they negotiate alone: Future medical care, including follow-up visits, physical therapy, imaging, and treatment for injuries that worsen over time Lost wages and lost earning capacity, covering the work you’ve already missed and any long-term limits on what you can do The full diagnosis, since soft-tissue injuries, concussions, and back injuries often don’t show their true severity for days or weeks Property damage done right, repaired or replaced at real cost, not a rounded-down estimate Pain and the disruption to your life, which an adjuster has every incentive to value at zero In a serious or catastrophic crash, the gap between the first offer and the real value of the claim can be enormous. That gap is the insurer’s profit, and it comes directly out of your recovery. 🛡️ Your Rights Under Florida Law: Under Florida Statute § 768.81, your compensation is reduced by your share of fault, and you may be barred from recovery if you are