Injury Claim Handling: Hidden Pieces, Unknown Dynamics

Injury claim preparation requires piecing together many elements, some of which aren’t immediately obvious.  Imagine a puzzle, but some pieces are hidden.

Think about it.  The furnace makes loud noise.  Most homeowners won’t attempt to fix it.  You need to fly cross country.  Will you tune up the jet engines and pilot the aircraft yourself?  Many jobs require expertise.

Legal matters can look like a pile of paper.  But, initially unseen details can damage a case if overlooked.  Many factors demonstrate the need for expertise from an experienced legal advocate in handling personal injury claims.

Injury Claim Dynamics

The insurance industry’s own statistics establish that once an attorney is brought in, claim value more than doubles.  Your own attorney has a duty to fully inform you of all potential elements of recovery which the insurance company claims adjuster won’t take time to explain:

• Settlements are forever.  Signing a release ends the case.  Forever.  Should you later need additional treatment or discover an outstanding bill you didn’t know about, it’s too late to go back.
• Insurance adjuster’s jobs require closing files as quickly as possible, with minimum payment by the insurance company.

• Nearly everyone knows about the statute of limitations, ending the right to bring a lawsuit after a period of time depending on state law.  But hidden ‘notice requirements’ can terminate the right to even bring a claim or to bring parts of a claim, like applying for payment of accident medical bills, if not made on time and in the proper format.

Injury Claim Pieces

Knowing where and how to obtain information and how to piece it together requires expertise.  What level of negligence must be proven?  What is the burden of proof?  What unknown questions need to be asked?

Procedural and legal differences vary from state to state in pursuing personal injury claims.  But insurance policies and practices summarized here are largely universal across the U.S.  My office handles personal injury and accident cases in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, and we welcome questions.

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