First, contact an attorney. Having a lawyer review the offer before you accept it is an important way to ensure that the insurance company isn’t offering a sum that is too low to aid you in recovery. This is especially important for catastrophic injuries because they can require long-term medical care and may prevent you from earning a similar salary to what you earned before the accident.

It may seem like this is the end of your claim, but you may be able to appeal the decision if your claim is denied. An attorney can help you file an appeal in the days after the decision has been made, but it is important to appeal quickly because there is a statute of limitations for the appeals process.

One of the primary ways that personal injury claims are determined is whether someone else’s negligence contributed to your injuries. A person can be negligent if they do something that a reasonable person would not do or if they failed to do something that a reasonable person would do. If that action or failure to act contributed to your injuries, then you may have a claim.

If you are unsure whether you have a claim, consider talking to a lawyer to learn more. Many firms — including Law Office of Shane R. Kadlec — offer no-cost consultations to discuss a potential case with you.