Yes! When someone’s been injured, one of the many difficulties that person faces is financial difficulties. We understand that. For this reason, we offer a free consultation on injury cases. Call us at 208-743-5299 or get started by filling out our simple online form.
Don’t assume that the insurance company will treat you fairly. Often, insurance companies treat people well early after an accident in the hopes of building trust and laying the groundwork to resolve the case for much less than its real value. In fact, insurance companies often encourage people to settle their claims quickly.
Why? An early settlement for less than what an injured person should get saves the insurance company money. This often includes early offers of settlement from the insurance company before the real extent of injuries, and the cost of the medical treatment for those injuries is known. By consulting with an experienced injury attorney, you can better understand the real value of your case.
Except in workers’ compensation cases, don’t provide the insurance company with medical releases. Often, insurance companies will suggest that they cannot make a settlement offer to you until you sign a medical release, allowing them to collect your medical records and even sometimes talk with your doctor. In fact, you are not required to give the insurance company a medical release in order to obtain a settlement offer.
Take photographic evidence of injuries and damage to vehicles. While the insurance adjuster may take photographs of the vehicles involved in an accident, it is important for the injured party to also obtain photographs to ensure their preservation. Bruising and other visible injuries after an accident may not be mentioned by physicians and photographs prove the existence of those injuries. Care should be taken with regard to the quality of the photographs to ensure the adequate representation of the injury.
Ensure that the medical personnel is aware of the specific details of their accident. Often, in the turmoil that follows an accident, injured people forget to provide a sufficient history of the accident to their treating doctors. Every doctor is required to take notes of their examination of patients. Part of this note taking process includes a section called “history.” Giving an accurate and complete history of your injury to your physicians can help to ensure a more successful result in your claim.
Don’t attempt to negotiate a settlement directly with the insurance company without really understanding the value of your claim. By attempting to negotiate directly with the insurance company, you are often negotiating in the dark. You likely do not have a real sense of the value of your claim. At Caldwell Law Group, PLLC, we can help you determine what your case is really worth.
