<prompt> Human: On May 14th, I was driving down the highway in the middle of nowhere, going through a town of like 100 people where the speed limit only dropped to 50. I watched a guy blow a stop sign and cross the highway right in front of me. I slammed on the brakes but it wasnt enough, I still T-boned his truck. The shoulder and ditch situation was such that I couldnt have swerved to avoid impact without flying over an edge into an even worse accident. He got a ticket from the cop for failure to yield and ultimately his insurance determined him to be 100 at fault.I got a minor concussion, was out of work for a week should have been two really, two sprained wrists, and left elbow pain. The effects of the concussion lasted about two weeks. The effects on the elbow lasted about three. The left wrist healed in about two weeks but my right wrist is still not working correctly and Im seeing a physical therapist. Id been going twice a week and just last week dropped down to once a week. My therapist actually had a very similar injury and it took a long time to heal. I expect Ill be in physical therapy at least another four weeks. My insurance covered my lost wages for the week I was off at 85 and is covering all of my medical expenses.My real job and my farm work at home are both very physical and my injuries cost me a lot of productivity. My boss has been very gracious with me because I am still not performing at my pre-injury level but I am getting paid the same and the same amount of hours. I am a gymnastics teacher and spotter. Theres a lot of stuff I just cant do right now because my wrist wont take the force.My uncle is a retired attorney and he told me to take the money from the other guys insurance right away for replacing my car and for a rental car until I got a replacement, but not to settle for the pain and suffering part yet until I knew the full extent of my injuries and I was fully healed. This was very wise in retrospect, as my wrist problems are still ongoing. The insurance agent offered 500 right away to settle. My uncle laughed at that and suggested asking for 5000 and settling for no less than 3000.I have no frame of reference to compare this to. Ive never been in an accident before. Is that number about right? Do you have any suggestions on how to negotiate with the other guys agent? Truthfully he has been very nice to work with, and I understand its his job to try to save his employer money and settle for at little as possible. Ive heard that in negotiating numbers it can be helpful to pick something specific, like 5240 instead of a round number like 5000 because it makes it seem like you actually put some effort and calculation into coming up with the number. Is that total bullshit or might it work in this situation?Thank you very much for any information you are able to offer. I also posted this in rlegaladvice so if you feel that it belongs better there than here, mods feel free to delete and sorry for bugging you.  <response>: Im shocked that your uncle as a retired attorney would suggest that you negotiate with the the other drivers insurance company without hiring your own lawyer. Dont communicate with the insurance company in any way shape or form without a lawyer. They offered you 500 despite your losses obviously being many times that much because they figure youre naive, and without legal representation they can rip you off. If you ask for 5000 and they counter with 3000 a lawyer probably would have been able to get you 6000.Use the internet to research good personal injury lawyers in your area. Speak to several of them, and listen to what they have to say. 