Retaining a competent car accident lawyer is vital if you are injured in a wreck. No matter what the property damage, severity of the injury or insurance scenario is, if you wait until you are physically and mentally ready to hire a personal injury attorney, after a car wreck, you may have waited too long.
Insurance Agents vs Personal Injury Attorneys
When you get in a car accident, it may be difficult to keep a level head with respect to long term results. Everyone says, “Let your insurance handle it.” It’s important to keep in mind that the insurance company you have employed has a team of lawyers and adjusters who begin the process of evaluating your injury claim right away. These attorneys are not looking out for your best interest. They are hired to protect them, the insurance company.
The minute the insurance company is notified of a claim, the agents start working on figuring out how to devalue your claim. This is how they make money.
Facing a team of professional attorneys that work full time for a multi million to billion dollar insurance company on your own isn’t a wise choice, in our book. While it is completely possible to do so, you are at the mercy of their decisions. They have the option to give you a thousand dollars, a couple hundred bucks or deny your claim completely. Sounds fair, doesn’t it? It’s completely up to the insurance company what to give you, since, after all, you don’t really understand what legal rights you have, what alternatives you could use or how to even go about fighting them. These attorneys spend all day, every day fighting claims for their employers (the insurance company).
Manassas Law Group Car Accident Lawyers
We have years of experience in protecting the rights of car accident victims throughout Virginia. We have the education, experience and financial resources to stand toe-to-toe with your insurance carrier, in the event that the carrier chooses to unfairly compensate you, as a paying client.
If you have been involved in a car accidents that resulted in a physical injury, your next step is to file a claim with your insurance company as well as with the insurance carrier of the at-fault party. Once you’ve filed your claim, it will be up to the insurance company to decide the value of your what you receive. Your insurance carrier (or the “at fault” party’s carrier) may choose to deny your claim, altogether. This can become complicated. The process of filing multiple claims with multiple agencies, facilitating treatment, getting car repairs, and making sure you’re getting what you deserve, especially when injured.
Handling Your Own Injury Claim
If you make the decision to handle your own accident or injury claim, your insurance carrier will offer you the minimum amount of settlement money with the intention of you taking it and leaving them alone.
In fact, several insurance companies make the offer within days of the accident, hoping to take advantage of you. Did you think they sped up the process, just for you, because you were injured? Think again. They were hoping you would accept before seeing the full extent of your injuries. You won’t know what medical treatment you will need in the future, at that point. These types of offers are known as “nuisance value offers”. This means that the insurance provider views the victim as a nuisance, who has no power to defend themselves against a seasoned defense lawyer.
Often times, insurance companies will reach out to you and try to get you to give a recorded statement. Just know, this is never a good idea. This information is not for you; it’s for them to use against you. You may not understand the injuries you have sustained to the fullest extent, and they are counting on this to use against you in court. A good lawyer will recognize harm that you may not even realize yet. This can include lost and future lost wages, medical costs, a life care plan, etc.
Injury Claim Settlement
If the amount of money seems “fair”, with no backlash from the insurance company, you may want to get a second opinion. Many individuals take the a minimal settlement after executing the release of the other party, or negligent party. At this point, even if you’ve received months worth of medical treatment, it’s too late once you’ve signed away your rights.
It’s important to remember that this is not a game, it’s life, and the playing field is not at all level. A claimant who is unrepresented will lack the experience necessary to negotiate with an insurance carrier. Moreover, the claimant wont have a thorough understanding of how to negotiate the medical bills they will more than likely incur.
Let Manassas Law Group Deal With Your Insurance Company
Even if your accident is only minor, dealing with insurance companies can still be a headache. If you have been in a minor accident recently, call the Manassas Law Group at 703.361.8246, or fill out a short form on their website.
