As you work through a personal injury settlement, there may be a lot of offers designed to take you away from a larger pool of money. The amount may be tempting, but you need to understand that your future costs may be higher than what your opponent is offering. Understand the future costs that may change your needs and spending habits before signing anything and protect your best interests by planning a few negotiation points in your favor.
Measure Your Earning Potential After Injury
After being injured, your ability to earn a living may be affected in more ways than lost wages. Depending on the severity of your injuries, you may not be able to do your job at all.
Even if you're not disabled, your job may be more difficult. These difficulties could affect your ability to maintain your job or push for promotions. If you're not moving around as quickly or unable to perform your job as efficiently, your peers may quickly surpass you and take the opportunities that were once wide open for you.
If you're able to keep your job through the settlement process, ask your employer to measure your performance. A documented analysis of your performance can help you explain how severely the injury has changed your ability to perform.
Push For Education Services To Keep Your Earnings Up
If you're unable to perform your own job easily or at all, it may be time to look into another career path. Instead of taking a set settlement amount that could be exhausted in a few years, demand that your legal opponent take responsibility for funding education in a new career for you.
In some cases, the cost of an education can be cheaper for your legal opponent while bringing farm more money in for you. For example, if your legal opponent can bring in a grant writing professional, they may be able to pay for your education with scholarships, grants or other forms of tuition assistance such as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Scholarships and grants aren't easy to earn for many people. Some are not well advertised, while others contain difficult qualifications. With a grant writer's services, you can be more easily qualified for a scholarship at no cost to you. The cost of a grant writer would likely be more affordable than paying full price for college tuition or job training.
For help with personal injury settlement negotiations, contact a personal injury attorney (at Goldman & LeBrun or another firm)
