How Do People Unintentionally Hurt Their Personal Injury Claim?

The most common way people hurt their claim is by not seeking medical attention immediately. Also, you’ll often get a call from the other side’s insurance company. They will ask you to give a statement on the phone that they can record. Don’t do it. There is no universe in which that is going to benefit you. What will happen is they will have that recording and they will use it against you later. Memories are imperfect. You will explain things differently two years later than you would explain them on the day of the accident. They will use that recording to argue that now you are lying, even though you are being completely honest about what you remember.

You can keep a diary for yourself to help you remember what happened, but do not talk to the other side’s insurance company, even if you are not going to seek legal help. Go forward with your treatment, present your claim when you are ready to negotiate with them, but you don’t do things on their terms. Don’t sign any releases for them. Do not give them early access to your medical records. None of that is in your favor.

Can I Even Afford An Experienced Personal Injury Attorney?

A good injury attorney will take a case on a contingency fee basis. They pursue it to get as much money as they can for you because that’s how they get paid. If I am taking on a new case, I’ll take a third of the results, if I can get it resolved without having to file a lawsuit. I’ll take 40% of the result if I do have to file a lawsuit. I will front all of the expenses out of my own pocket and then those get paid back when the lawsuit is over. If I don’t get a result for the client, I don’t come after them for the expenses. You should be able to hire an attorney with nothing out of your pocket and no risk to you.

What Makes Your Firm Particularly Suited To Handling A Personal Injury Case?

Personal injury is most of what I do and I’ve been in practice for 20 years. We have a large staff for the cases that we handle and we are well equipped to fight insurance companies. We have experience handling the same types of cases over and over again. Also, you are not going to have a hard time getting a hold of your attorney if you want to talk to them. We respond to your inquiries promptly.

How Do I Go About Filing A Claim After Being Injured In An Auto Accident?

Step one is to focus on your medical treatment. If you’ve been injured, you don’t need to be talking to an insurance company, or even to a lawyer, instantly. What you need to do is to seek medical attention. It’s the doctor’s notes that are going to be used to prove what happened to you. Your own story is helpful but it won’t be accepted by the insurance company. Talk to your medical professionals, follow their advice, and get treatment until you are better. The point at which you’ve recovered is the time to move forward with your claim. Then, you can talk to an attorney. You have two years, in California, to file an ordinary personal injury claim, one year if it’s a medical malpractice claim, and only six months if it’s against a government entity.

For more information on Hurting Your Personal Injury Claim, a free initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking by calling (408) 687-9155 today.