Ok so we admit that the title may be a bit … “wonky” but we hope it caught your attention. The purpose of this post is to try to give some general information regarding car crashes and injuries. This is not intended to be legal advice and specific questions should be addressed to a competent attorney. With that being said – let’s go!
First and foremost please notice that we don’t use the phrase “accident” in this post. There is a very specific reason for that – in our opinion the phrase “accident” means that something unavoidable happened. This is usually not the situation from our perspective. The phrase “crash” means that someone did something that they were not supposed to do or that they didn’t do something that they were supposed to do. It happened through their fault not by “accident”. That is why you may need to speak with an attorney.
If you have a crash or other injury, your thoughts immediately, and naturally turn to immediate concerns – my family, my car, my pain, my job, my bills and what am I going to do next? These are legitimate and real concerns. Top it off with dealing with rental car companies, your insurance company, their insurance company, recorded statements, doctor’s appointments and, well, life it can get stressful and overwhelming. That’s where a lawyer could help.
The role of a lawyer in an injury cases is to take some of the burden off of you, deal with the insurance companies and negotiate or litigate a settlement that compensates you for your damages. We know that no amount of money can truly make up for what has happened but it is the only remedy the law provides. The goal of any resolution of an injury case is to try to make you whole again. While there is no good way of quantifying this amount, experience is the best method to gauge how much is the right amount.
If you hire a lawyer, he or she should be in contact with the insurance company so that they contact the lawyer and not you, to gather your medical bills and lost wages when you are done treating, and then submit a settlement package to the insurance company. The insurance company with come back with a dollar figure and then negotiations commence. This can take a matter of days or months depending on a variety of factors. At the end of negotiations, it is you, not the lawyer, who decides whether the number is fair. If so, then a check is cut, your bills are paid off and you will receive a check. If not, then a lawsuit is filed and the Court will decide what the number is within the confines of the law.
Does this sound tedious, stressful and cumbersome? It is. That is why having an experienced, competent attorney with a stellar support staff can be of value. If you have more questions or would like to talk about the specifics of your case, give us a call at 757-454-2110. We have been working with injured clients since 1995 and we are here to help.
/s/ Brian
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