Frequently Asked Questions
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Disclaimer: All legal information presented at this site is for
informational purposes only and should not be construed to be formal legal
advice nor the formation of an attorney-client relationship. Your receipt of the
information on this website is not intended to create, and receipt does not
constitute, a contract for representation by The Law Office of Adam L. Marangell.
- How do I know if I have a good case?
- What if I can't afford legal fees?
- The insurance company representative says I don't need an
accident lawyer. Is this true?
- I don't have health insurance. Who will pay for my medical
bills?
- What can I do if the person who caused the accident doesn't
have insurance?
- The person who injured me only has minimum coverage and my
medical bills and wage loss are more than his policy limits. He
has no other money. Doesn't it make sense for me to settle for
the minimum now?
- How much is my claim worth?
- Will I have to go to trial to collect what is due to me or
can we settle out of court?
- How long will it be until settlement negotiations start?
You probably need expert legal help to determine the merits of
your case. Please call for a free, no-obligation consultation. We
will give you our honest opinion as to whether we think you have a
good case and have a chance of recovering money for your injury or
situation.
That isn't a problem, as we take accident and injury cases on a
contingency basis, which means you don't pay a fee unless and until
we recover money for you.
Insurance companies have very experienced representatives, who
are highly trained and skilled at handling claims. They of course
want to deal with claimants who have no training or experience. To
protect yourself, it is always advisable to discuss your claim with
an accident lawyer before dealing with an insurance company.
In some cases, the insurer for the at-fault party will advance
payment for initial accident-related medical bills; however, very
often after the payment for a few visits, they will stop, hoping
that you will take a lower settlement to make sure that your bills
get paid.
We can help you get medical care, which you won't have to pay for
until your case is concluded.
Unfortunately there are many uninsured drivers. The best way to
protect yourself from losses caused by an uninsured driver is to
have adequate collision coverage to pay for damage to your vehicle,
medical payments coverage to pay for medical bills, and uninsured
motorist coverage which will pay for additional medical bills, wage
loss and pain and suffering in the event that the at-fault driver is
uninsured or doesn't have enough insurance to pay for your claim.
Uninsured motorist coverage is often difficult to understand and in
the event you are injured by an uninsured driver, you should
immediately contact our office. We can handle your uninsured
motorist claim.
NO! In the event that the at-fault driver's insurance coverage is
far less than the value of your claim, you may be able to recover
additional monies from your own insurance company if you have
adequate underinsured motorist coverage. But, know that once you
settle with the at-fault driver's insurance you may lose your right
to pursue this additional coverage. We routinely deal with
this type of situation.
This answer varies greatly depending on the nature of the injury
and the circumstances of the case. The value of the claim is usually
determined by many factors:
~the severity and impact of the injury
~the likelihood of prevailing (winning) at trial
~the amount of medical bills and lost earnings incurred
~the length of treatment
~the degree of severity of the pain or discomfort experienced
~whether the problem is permanent in nature and results in a
permanent disability
Only after these factors are evaluated can an estimate be made of
the value of a claim. Sometimes people listen to rumors of
settlement amounts that create unrealistic expectations. Our office
will help to determine a
reasonable value of your case, taking into consideration all of the
many variables. We will give you an honest assessment of the value
of your case.
The vast majority of injury claims are settled without having to
go to court. Certain situations are more likely to
be tried, especially when there is a disagreement as to
responsibility for the accident or as to the extent or permanency of
the injuries. Since litigation is long and expensive, we recommend
in most cases that a suit not be initiated until it is clear that
settlement is unlikely. A decision to go to court will be
extensively discussed with you, and only done so with your express
approval.
This depends on many factors. Generally, we do not recommend
settlement negotiations until your recovery is complete or your
condition has stabilized and there won't be any unanticipated
medical expenses, income loss, or additional pain or discomfort we
don't know about. This is important because a settlement is the
final disposition of your claim without future recourse.
Unfortunately, many injuries result in permanent or chronic
conditions, which sometimes mean lifelong discomfort or even
disability. In order to maximize recovery in these cases, persuasive
medical documentation must be obtained. In these situations, doctors
often like to wait and see what happens before they give an opinion
as to the permanency, degree of disability or likelihood that the
condition will not improve or worsen. However, our experienced staff
will do everything possible to ensure that your case is prepared for
settlement negotiations at the earliest possible point.
