Car Accidents

INSURANCE CARRIERS LOW BALL PEOPLE WITHOUT AN ATTORNEY:  Insurance carriers have no reason to offer a reasonable settlement to an unrepresented person because you are not a threat, and do not know the value of your case. Quality trial attorneys have access to jury verdict searches that give them accurate information about how much your case is worth. People who represent themselves often find they are promised much at the initial opening of their cases and assume they do not need an attorney, only to find out when an offer is made that the adjuster is not even paying for their medical bills, and has strung them out during their critical treatment period when it would have been advantageous for them to retain experts and/or medical forensic treatment and diagnostics that would have proven their case.

ESTABLISHING FAULT IS OFTEN A SMALL PART OF THE CASE:  If the person who hit you admits fault at the scene, there is a common misconception that the case will be easy to resolve, perhaps on your own. Later, the insurance carrier may admit fault for purposes of settlement. However, this is a hazardous assumption for several reasons described below. 

RETRACTION OF ADMISSION OF FAULT/APPORTIONMENT OF FAULT IS COMMON:  Just because an insurance carrier or driver admits fault initially does not mean that the insurance carrier will not later retain an expert and apportion some or even 100% fault to you. This happens very frequently, especially if you refuse their lowball offer and are forced to file a lawsuit to get full value for your case, which happens with our clients much, if not most of the time. Drivers often admit fault at the accident scene and state there is no need for a police report, only to change their story later, no matter how obvious it is that they were at fault. At fault drivers often come up with innumerable arguments as to why they are not at fault. It is imperative to always have an officer come to the scene of an accident if you are feeling any pain, or even just feeling shaken up. If you have an attorney, all parties are much less likely to be able to retract or change their narratives as the attorney will secure the proper evidence to prove what really happened. Calling an attorney immediately after an accident will help you preserve evidence properly. The insurance carriers have teams of attorneys working on their side. You should retain an attorney too, or you will be at a strategic disadvantage.

ACCUSATIONS OF UNREASONABLE MEDICAL BILLS/CARE IS ALMOST ALWAYS RAISED BY INSURANCE CARRIERS - ESPECIALLY IN ADMITTED FAULT CASES:  The insurance carrier will almost always reduce your medical bills and state that they are "unreasonable" after the injured party submits their claim. Insurance carriers have medical experts, which they use to review the medical records and bills to state that the bill was excessive, and not reasonable. They then use that information to lowball you. This will happen, especially if you have no attorney. An attorney will help guide you to the right medical forensic experts, or have you use your health or government insurance to procure the best doctors that are willing to testify. Many doctors are very good treatment doctors, but never want to testify in court, and will cause problems unless you secure an attorney early to ensure that the medical bills and treatment are reasonable and necessary, and are supported by medical experts.

LACK OF CAUSATION IS ARGUED IN ALMOST EVERY CASE - EVEN WITH ADMITTED FAULT:  Even if the other driver admitted fault, causation is argued heavily in almost every auto accident case. This is the main focus of personal injury defense attorneys in most cases irrespective of who is at fault, or how obvious it is that the injury resulted from the auto accident. Insurance carriers and their attorneys retain experts to testify that the forces were insufficient to cause you injury, or that the forces were not of a nature that could have caused the injuries alleged. They know that most people do not have the knowledge or expertise to fight this and that many attorneys are also afraid to pay the expensive expert fees necessary to prevail against these arguments. Our law firm establishes causation by obtaining objective medical evidence/diagnostics and excellent experts, combined with decades of experience in cross-examining defense experts to expose their fallacious opinions.