The physician or chiropractor has released one of the treatments for your car accidents and the time has passed, so that you can sit on the position with Governor Henry Hard-Nose is. His employer is Rock Solid Insurance, the company that Fred hangover, the person who plowed into the back of destroying you with a tremendous crash, the injuries and that the "pain and suffering" you had to endure, had been assured.
In order to adequatelyto be compensated for what you have accumulated through you off, which has asked the world of insurance claims as "special damages" have. These are your medical expenses, your wages lost, and every dollar paid to help with your recovery. When building the value of a request for personal injury, there are several important elements that should be aware of:
New Hampshire Personal Injury Attorney
RESPONSIBILITY ': In the majority of car accidents, it is clear who is to blame. Assuming that you hit a powerful hangoverShocks in the rear (rear Enders do much more than half of traffic accidents, suicide in the United States each year) yours is a case that needs to be clarified. (Statistics show that accidents in the final 83%, in 2003 it was clear who is to blame!)
Placing A Value On Your Personal Injury Claim
The very doubtful liability case has little, if any, settlement value. That being the case, you must use the services of the local legal beagle with a good job that can not receive, Attorney IM Greedy.But if you do, you are very careful when you subscribe to the greedy "Contingency Fee Agreement". Read it carefully. Do not sign anything, that will charge a penny, other than its normal cost. Not - - in any way - - allow him to chisel money from you, for his out-of-pocket costs. All Greedy should be compensated (if successful break loose from a few euros is Solid Rock) is its cost and must not accept more than the current rate will be published at the local levelfull recovery.
Type of injury: if there is serious injury (which are only 10 to 15 per cent of all road accidents), you should obtain the services of a lawyer. But if minor injuries such as whiplash, bumps, bruises, sprains and / or strains (and it is clear that it is not your fault) I was able to touch her and the same claim.
Type of person you are: Rate yourself and be brutally honest. Perhaps you are a small family carOwner / driver, a normal life. But if you've already spent some time behind bars a criminal record or a history of character defects, which are often the butt in a jam with the local police (and this is well known), you should consider these facts in the formation of expectations terms of what your case is worth.
The kind of person Fred hangover ': The best hangover Fred seems, or rather the "entity" "(hangover business or company, etc.) appears, the better for Rock Solid, but.if Fuddle is a known bookie or drug dealer, they're in deep "stuff". On the other hand, if Fuddle is a well-loved philanthropist, that can be a plus for Rock Solid Insurance. Or if the vehicle that struck you was a van driven by Pastor Frederick Fuddle, and the named insured is The Fuddle Camp For Lost Souls, that can be a plus for Rock Solid.
But, if the "entity" that hit you was a dilapidated junk pile on wheels operated by Fred "Goof-Ball" Fuddle, and the named insured is The Fuddle Rotted Cow Manure Corporation, that will obviously not be favorable for Rock Solid.
DAMAGES: There are "Medical Special Damage" Expenses, "Non-Medical Special Damages" Expenses, and/or your "Property Damage" Expenses.
MEDICAL SPECIAL DAMAGE EXPENSES: These typically include Cost of Ambulance, Emergency Room, Hospital and/or Clinic Charges, Chiropractor, and/or Dentist, Over-The-Counter Drugs and/or Prescription Medications, Laboratory Fees and Services, Diagnostic Tests: X-Rays and (CT) Scan, Prosthetic Appliances or Surgical Apparatus, (Cranes & Crutches), Physical Therapy, Registered and/or Practical Nurse Fees, Ace Bandages, Gauze and Tape, Heating Pads, Creams, Lotions, Ointments, Balms and Salves.
When it comes to listing your Medical Special Damage "expenses" don't overlook one single dollar because, when it comes time to settle your claim, that dollar can increase the value of your payment for "Pain and Suffering" by a multiplier of four or even five! (Yes, that means a .00 bill can be worth .00 to 0.00 more ,in your pocket, from Rock Solid Insurance, at settlement time).
NON-MEDICAL SPECIAL DAMAGES: These typically include Lost Wages and Earnings, Lost Vacation time and/or Sick Leave, Travel Expenses (car rentals, public transportation, expenses incurred getting to and from your Chiropractor and/or hospital and/or physical therapy "treatment" of some sort) Household Help during disability and/or Child Care. Be sure to obtain written proof of such "Non Medical" Special Damages.
LOST WAGES: The income you lost, because you were unable to work, is an area where adjusters take terrible advantage of the typical claimant because they know so little about it.
Commissions and overtime can make a huge difference in your lost earnings. Be sure to get a letter from your employer, on their official letterhead, explaining that in detail. Or, if you're self-employed, get this information stated on your accountants letterhead.
The time you miss from work (thus the money you may have lost) is calculated and this element constitutes what is known as "Lost Wages" or "Lost Time Verification". In most situations you're entitled to compensation for lost time and earnings, even if you have no actual loss of money! Such as, for example, when your salary is paid by your company insurance coverage, or by taking sick leave, or some similar arrangement.
Even if you're salaried you should obtain a "Lost Earnings", or "Time Lost Verification", in writing on your employer's letterhead.
IF YOU'RE SELF-EMPLOYED: To prove your lost earnings you'll probably have to assemble some inside information for Hard-Nose. If you don't like the idea of submitting private documents to him, in the privacy of your home or office, just think how you'd feel about producing them in the non-private environment of a courtroom. When a case goes to trial, and if you want to prove your damages so as to collect adequate compensation, that's your only alternative.
TWO CRITICAL AREAS REGARDING LOST WAGES: Did the injury necessitate a change of job or employment at a lesser rate? Or, did the injury allow your going to work but only on a part-time basis? If the answer to either question is "Yes", it would be wise to ask your employer to document these facts on their letterhead.
IT'S CRUCIAL FOR YOU TO KNOW: Even if you've been paid while out of work, you can still compute your time lost from work as "Lost Wages" .
PROPERTY DAMAGE EXPENSES: These typically include Motor Vehicle Repair, Damaged Clothing, Broken Glasses, cost of Substitute Car Rentals, Towing and Storage. Make copies of all bills relating to any of your property damage expenses. Keep the originals. Be sure to have these in your possession when you and Hard-Nose plunk yourselves down to "Talk Turkey". Photocopies are sufficient to give him.
YOUR AGE: Because of their obvious innocence, insurance claim accident victims, up to the age of 12, generally have excellent settlement results. Those in their teens, and into their late 50's, fall into a fairly normal category because they're generally considered to be at the height of their physical stamina. Those in their late 60's, and over, usually fare extremely well; primarily due to the sympathy that's often invoked, from a judge or jury, because of general attitudes regarding frailty and the elderly.
MOST IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER:The information Hard-Nose places into your file plays a major role in the ultimate value of your claim. Never underestimate the importance of his impressions and conclusions! Should, one day, your case ends up in front of a judge, or jury, what Hard-Nose feels, observes and then reports into your file at Rock Solid about you, his insured Fred Fuddle, and/or possible witnesses, etc., (in addition to the information you've documented for him) could have massive influence on the value of your claim - - especially if Fuddle is a loser and he's absolutely in the wrong. At that point the only thing stalling a settlement is the amount of money it's going cost to get rid of you.
And, should your file end up in the hands of the local defense attorney for Rock Solid Insurance, all the positive factors about you, your injury and liability, will cause him to gasp, "Hey, what's going on here? My legal fees will be higher than the few hundred more bucks this one can be dumped for."
The bottom line: Your out-of-pocket expenses correctly recorded and presented, your injury information properly documented and your lost wages clearly established will seriously increase the dollar value of your personal injury claim.
QUESTION: How does Dan know this to be true? ANSWER: "Because for 38 years Dan was right there, where he saw and done that" !
Copyright (c) 2005 by Daniel G. Baldyga. All Rights Reserved
DISCLAIMER: The purpose of this "How To" Insurance Claim Article "PLACING A VALUE ON YOUR PERSONAL INJURY CLAIM" is to help people understand the motor vehicle accident claim process. Dan Baldyga does not make any guarantee of any kind whatsoever, NOR do they purport to engage in rendering any professional or legal service, NOR to substitute for a lawyer, an insurance adjuster, or claims consultant, or the like. Wherever such professional help is desired it is the INDIVIDUAL'S RESPONSIBILITY to obtain said services.
Dan Badlyga has had 3 "How To" Insurance Claim books published, the last being AUTO ACCIDENT PERSONAL INJURY INSURANCE CLAIM (How To Evaluate And Settle Your Loss) which can be found on the internet at http://www.caraccidentclaims.com or http://www.autoaccidentclaims.com.
This book explains, in simple language, "How To" handle your motor vehicle property damage and/or personal injury claim. It also contains BASE (The Baldyga Auto Accident Settlement Evaluation Formula). THE BASE FORMULA will explain how to determine the value of the "Pain and Suffering" you endured - - because of your motor vehicle accident injury!
Placing A Value On Your Personal Injury Claim
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