While many personal injury attorneys settle the majority of cases without going to trial, there may be valid reasons why your own attorney may not want to settle yet and has not raised the issue with the insurance company. For example, if you are still undergoing medical treatment, your attorney may want to wait until all of your bills are in and until it is known whether you will require ongoing medical treatment. Additionally, your attorney may want to wait to see if your injury will impact your career so that he or she can request additional damages for this reason.
When liability is in question, a claims adjuster may initially deny the claim or take more time to thoroughly investigate it. Another scenario can arise when the car accident case is not very well-documented.
If a claims adjuster has a particularly large volume of claims to work through, it is likely that a settlement offer may take longer for the accident victim to receive.
One vehicle may have stopped suddenly because of a vehicle swerving in front of it, causing a third party to crash into the back of the stationary vehicle. A governmental entity may be to blame for a lack of a proper sign or a malfunctioning traffic light. The victim may have contributed to his or her own injuries.
One of the most contentious matters involved in a car accident case is the level of damages requested in the claim. If the measure of damages is relatively low, the insurance company may decide to quickly dispose of the case and a person may have the case settled within a matter of a few months. If the insurance company does not believe ...
If you agree to a settlement early only to discover that it is not enough, you will not have a second chance to negotiate. Legally, you have three years after a car accident to request a remedy ...
Hiring a car accident attorney may make the settlement process go more quickly and more smoothly and avoid dangerous pitfalls; it may also help you to recover damages that you did not know to ask for.
It is not uncommon, if all parties agree on the details of the accident and if the insurance company acts accordingly and fairly, then you may think that you do not need an attorney. Unfortunately, this is not always the case, and you may not realize it until it is too late to receive the compensation that you deserve.
If a settlement is offered and you do not agree with it, you may reject the settlement in turn. Even an apparently straightforward claim may take months to settle, and a complex case may take years.
If a settlement is offered and you do not agree with it, you may reject the settlement in turn. Even an apparently straightforward claim may take months to settle, and a complex case may take years. In the meantime, you may have bills that need to be paid. Every case is different, and the timeline for your settlement depends on a variety ...
Turbak Law Office accepts most car accident cases on a contingency fee basis: your attorney will not get paid until you have been compensated. Moreover, if you do not receive compensation, you will typically not be responsible for paying for the attorney’s services.
If you agree to a settlement early only to discover that it is not enough, you will not have a second chance to negotiate. Legally, you have three years after a car accident to request a remedy from a South Dakota civil court for a personal injury claim against an at fault driver, but it is to your advantage to consult with a car accident lawyer as ...
Most injury claims should not take more than three weeks. But it often does.
If a case is going to be settled fast without a lawsuit for top value, a car accident lawyer will need to obtain all of the medical records and bills for the client. At our law firm and many personal injury firms, it is the lawyer’s job to collect the medical bills and records. Medical records are essential.
Alternatively, if future surgery or other medical procedures have not yet been performed, an accident lawyer can ask a doctor to give an estimate of what the costs of the future surgery/procedure will cost. This is often the biggest reason there is a delay in settling a serious injury claim.
In most states, there is no rule requiring the insurance company to respond at all.
You do not have to file a lawsuit. Sometimes lawyers do not understand the client's need to get their money quickly. But, if you do settle early, you may be leaving money on the table. When our attorneys file a lawsuit, it often results in a later offer that is many times more than the pre-suit settlement offer.
When our attorneys file a lawsuit, it often results in a later offer that is many times more than the pre-suit settlement offer. The muscle of a lawsuit puts fear into insurance companies. This muscle often gets them to pay far more settlement money than they would have considered before suit was filed.
But in the average serious injury case, you need to file a lawsuit to maximize the value of your case. You do not have to file a lawsuit. Sometimes lawyers do not understand the client's need to get their money quickly. But, if you do settle early, you may be leaving money on the table.
In law, it is not often there is a simple, unequivocal answer to a question, but when it comes to how long after an accident you should wait to call an attorney, there is no gray area: Find a lawyer as soon as you can. There are many reasons this is the case, including:
Any delay in contacting a lawyer can have a detrimental effect on your personal injury case, so you should contact a lawyer as soon as you can after an accident. To schedule a free consultation with a St. Louis car accident lawyer, call Page Law today at 314-322-8515 or contact us online.
When we do get into a car accident, we can all only hope that it’s as simple and uncomplicated as a simple fender bender. The unfortunate truth is that many car accidents are much more severe in nature, and the personal and property damage done can be quite extreme.
If you’ve recently been in an automobile wreck, it’s essential that you know when to get an attorney for a car accident. Not all cases require the help of an attorney, but many victims would benefit from having the help of an experienced legal aide. A lot can be at stake in these accidents, and it’s important to get the compensation you deserve.
It's no secret that many, if not most, small claims judges don't understand the insides of cars any better than you do. So be prepared to make a convincing presentation to a person who nods his or her head but doesn't really understand the difference between the drive shaft and the axle.
If you have a witness to oral statements made by the garage, be sure to bring that person with you to court. Or if that's impossible, ask the person to write a letter explaining what he or she heard. Also, be sure to present any letter (s) written by an independent expert (s) who has arranged to examine your car.
If the garage isn't cooperative, it's time to write a formal demand letter. Your letter should be short, polite, and written with an eye to a judge reading it. Be sure to emphasize any promise made by the garage. Most small independent garages don't make a written warranty or guarantee on their work.
Remember, the judge is probably not a mechanic. It's important to pay attention to the human being to whom you are presenting your case. It's no secret that many, if not most, small claims judges don't understand the insides of cars any better than you do.
Tell the Truth. If your lawyer doubts you in the consultation, or doesn't think you have a case, while that may change over time, getting over an initial disbelief is very hard. You have to prove your case. Your attorney is not your witness. They are your advocate - but you are responsible for coming up with proof.
Don' t forget that lawyers don't always need to take more cases. Yes, new clients are a great thing, but I don't want clients that will eat all my time and get no where fast. Your tip: keep your communication very simple and to the point.
If you don't pay your lawyer on the day of trial, or however you have agreed to, then while he or she may be obligated by other ethical duties to do his/her best, they won't be motivated by sympathy for you, and it will show in court.
Well, truth be told, neither do I. The difference between lawyer and client is that the lawyer expects it to take a long time and understands. The client typically thinks it's unjustified. So, your hard truth is that each case takes time. Be patient.
While lawyers can certainly take your money and your time and we can file a case that will be very hard to win, if you don't care enough about your life to get a contract, the judge is not very likely to be on your side. At least, not automatically. Oral contracts are extremely hard to prove. What are the terms.
If no one can confirm that the story is true, you will at least need something external, such as a hard copy document, to prove your case. Be prepared.
While juries usually get it right, sometimes, it's not about whether a particular matter is emotional or simple, complicated or straightforward. Sometimes people make decisions on who has the nicer suit, or who is more pleasant to deal with. So even if your case is good or even if it's not so strong.