How to settle your car accident claim without a lawyer

HOW TO SETTLE YOUR CAR ACCIDENT CLAIM WITHOUT A LAWYER ONLY ATTEMPT TO SETTLE YOUR OWN CLAIM IF ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE TRUE: The other driver has already You have less than $5,000 in 01 admitted fault total medical bills 02 You immediately presented to the hospital or a doctor following the accident Your doctors agree that your injuries are caused by the car accident, and not from a pre-existing injury 03 04 BE SURE TO: Take photographs of the accident scene, vehicle damage, and injuries Obtain a copy of the Police Report Keep copies of all of your medical bills Get medical treatment immediately (within 24 hours) after the accident Follow your doctor's orders consistently (don't go > 7 days without treatment) Do not provide a recorded statement to the insurance company of the at fault driver Check the statute of limitation for your state, and your type of claim WHAT IS YOUR CAR ACCIDENT CLAIM WORTH? In calculating the value of your claim, insurance companies examine: Medical records Prescription records Photographs of your injuries Receipts for over-the-counter medications Statements from your doctors about the permanency of your injury Medical bills Damages WHAT CAN YOU RECOVER FROM THE AT FAULT DRIVER? %24 LOST WAGES: MEDICAL BILLS: payment for any time you missed from your job as a payment for future medical expenses, and reimbursement for documented expenses already paid PAIN AND SUFFERING: result of the accident. (doctors note required to substantiate) Measuring pain and suffering is very complicated, and based on many factors, including Whether a jury can see or plainly understand your injury The type of injury The severity of the Whether surgery accident was required Whether you Whether your doctor says your injury is permanent The total medical immediately sought Documentation expenses involved treatment after about your the accident complaints of pain 24 The effect on your The effect on The effect on your future enjoyment of your life and work Rehabilitation time after injury your daily life ability to work HOW TO NEGOTIATE A SETTLEMENT Writing a DEMAND LETTER: Obtain copies of your medical bills and records, and write a letter that will contain: Introduction. Briefly describe the accident and whose fault it was. Include pictures of the vehicles and the accident scene, and an accident report. Description of medical treatment. Describe what your injuries were, and which doctors treated you for those injuries. Include copies of records and pictures Summary of medical bills. List who you saw and when, and how much they charged you. Include a total amount & copies of all of your medical bills Summary of any lost wages. Describe how much work you lost, and the dates. You must have a note from a doctor about your inability work. Include a letter from your employer stating how much you earn, and how many days of work you missed. Demand. Tell the insurance company you demand $XXXX to settle this claim, and that you are giving them 30 days to respond, after which time you will be hiring an attorney to file a lawsuit. 30 HOW MUCH TO ASK FOR? Because each case varies, it is best to contact an attorney to get advice for how much to demand, based on the details of your case. THEN WHAT? The insurance company will usually respond in 30 days. If they don't, call back and politely leave messages every 12-48 hours until they respond with an offer. A WORD ABOUT INSURANCE ADJUSTERS: Remember to be nice to the adjuster. Be professional and firm. You will get nowhere by acting rudely. Not only will they treat you poorly, they will offer you less money if they think a jury would not like you either. REMEMBER! If at any point in this process, you feel confused, overwhelmed, or over your head, it is extremely wise to contact a Personal Injury Attorney, like the ones at Minick Law. PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEYS: Typically offer free initial consultations and usually are only paid if a settlement is reached or a jury awards a positive judgment. Attorney's fees are roughly 1/3 (33%) of the total reward. 33% Consistently get better outcomes. By hiring a personal injury attorney, you help level the playing field that is heavily stacked in favor of large insurance companies who can take advantage of personal injury victims. This almost always results in a larger settlement. 828.333.5024 [email protected] WWW.MINICKLAW.COM ::::