A few days after an accident, the phone rings. It is the at fault driver’s insurance company, and they are offering to settle your claim right now. The check sounds reasonable. The idea of putting the whole ordeal behind you sounds even better. Attorney Joebeth Bowers of Bowers Law used this week’s Monday Morning Lawyer podcast to explain why accepting that offer is almost always one of the most costly decisions an injured person can make, and what to do instead.
Why Insurance Companies Offer Quick Settlements After Accidents
The reason insurance companies move fast has nothing to do with generosity. Cases are almost always worth substantially more than the initial offer, and the insurer knows it. Attorney Bowers noted that he actually collects these early checks at his office, mailed out by certain companies before a claimant has even agreed to anything. He has helped clients return checks for under a thousand dollars on cases that ultimately resolved for close to a hundred thousand. His office currently has a case expected to settle for a quarter of a million dollars where the client had originally accepted two thousand.
The insurance company’s goal is to close the file before you fully understand what your injuries are worth, before you have finished medical treatment, and before an attorney has had a chance to evaluate the claim. Speed benefits the insurer. It rarely benefits the injured person.
What Signing an Accident Settlement Release Actually Means for Your Claim
One of the most damaging things insurance company representatives tell injured claimants is that a settlement offer comes with future medical coverage kept open. Attorney Bowers addressed this directly. It is not true. When a release of claims is signed, the case is over. There is no mechanism to reopen it, revisit it, or collect additional money later because treatment ends up costing more than expected. The release ends the matter entirely, and the injured person is left with whatever they accepted on that initial check regardless of what their recovery ends up requiring.
The Maryland Law That Gives Accident Victims a Short Window to Reverse a Quick Settlement
Maryland recognized how aggressively some insurers pursue early closures and created a narrow legal carve out to address it. If an accident victim settles a case without an attorney within approximately thirty days of the accident, they have a limited ability to engage an attorney, return the money, and restart the claim from scratch. Attorney Bowers was clear that this is an extremely tight window and not something to rely on. He has helped clients use it successfully, including the quarter million dollar case he referenced, but he described the process as threading a needle. The law exists because the practice of rushing to settle is real. The answer is not to depend on being able to undo a settlement but to avoid accepting one prematurely in the first place.
How Bowers Law Resolves an Accident Case Before Putting Money in Your Hands
When Attorney Bowers settles a case, the client receives a full accounting of where every dollar goes before anything is finalized. Medical bills, health insurance reimbursement obligations, attorney fees, and any other liens on the settlement are identified, negotiated, and resolved. The client receives a check knowing that everything has been handled. Attorney Bowers noted that his office sends clients a complete itemization of all medical care once treatment is finished, verifying that nothing has been missed before the demand goes to the insurance company. Every client walks away with a fair resolution and complete certainty that there are no outstanding obligations waiting to surface later.
What Every Maryland Accident Victim Should Know About Their Insurance Coverage Before It Matters
Attorney Bowers connected this topic directly to the April insurance policy review contest running through the end of the month at marylandinsurancebook.com. The coverage limits on your policy and the at fault driver’s policy determine how much money is actually available to resolve a claim. Knowing where your own policy stands before an accident happens means you are not getting that news for the first time in an attorney’s office when it is too late to change anything.
Submitting a declarations page for a free review takes a few minutes. Attorney Bowers returns a color coded report card showing what is working, what needs attention, and what is missing. Anyone who submits during April is entered to win a prize package that now includes an autographed Zay Flowers Baltimore Ravens jersey, two lower level tickets to the Ravens home opener, and a fifty dollar gift card to Greek Girls Ice Cream in Perryville. Additional prizes will be announced each Monday through the end of the month. Bowers Law is also donating five dollars to the Benjamin Hines Memorial Foundation scholarship for every policy submitted.
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