If you are ever injured in an accident, once you are released from the hospital and feel like talking you should contact and discuss your case with an accident injury attorney. This is not to say you should immediately jump on the litigation bandwagon but there is a good chance that when you file a claim for an accident there is going to be a lot of push back from the responsible party's insurance carrier. They may a while to agree to accept responsibility for the accident, but they may not be so nice about determining what is fair compensation for your injuries.
It should be pretty much a done deal when you can show copies of medical reports and bills from the emergency and follow up care facilities. However, it is not unusual for the insurance company to have their own medical experts to question different parts of healthcare bills and try to pass some of them off as being pre-existing conditions that existed prior to the accident.
By talking to an accident lawyer right away you can learn what your options are and what you can do to insure you receive the full amount of compensation to which you are entitled. Additionally, if you begin to have problems finding middle ground with the insurance company, you can also contact the accident injury attorney to handle the negotiations for you and, if necessary take the responsible party and the insurance company to court.
Depending on the type of accident in which you have been involved, as well as the extent of your injuries, you may need to talk to an attorney that specializes in that type of accident investigations. Car crashes, truck accidents, motorcycles and even boating accidents all end the same way…with someone's negligence causing injuries to someone else, but the way they are investigated and the methods used to calculate compensatory damages may vary slightly in each type.
Those involved in severe accidents will want an accident injury attorney that has resources available to prove their claim for medical reimbursement as well as help to determine the extent of injuries and their affect on the your ability to work. Most states allow injured parties to collect lost wages and are unable to work, but some insurers only want to pay minimum wage. They may also push the person to get a job outside their normal scope of work to minimize what they have to pay.
By having an accident injury attorney in your corner from the start of the negotiation process there is less chance the insurance company will try to wrangle their way out of paying for what they are responsible. Whether you have the attorney negotiate a settlement or take the offender to court will be between you and the accident injury attorney. Most attorneys, as well as insurers would rather avoid the confrontation and expense of a court hearing, but that option should remain open until an acceptable settlement offer is received and accepted by you and your attorney.
