As a personal injury attorney, I see car accident cases everyday. For me, and others like me, the process of handling such a case is not overly complicated — after all, this IS what we do for a living.
But for most people, being in an accident, and more specifically, being injured in an accident, can be stressful and overwhelming. Should you call an attorney? Should you talk with an insurance company? What do you do about medical bills piling up?
Let’s assume for the purpose of this article, that we have a rear end collision involving two cars, and that the Plaintiff (the person who was rear ended) suffers a neck injury, and hires an attorney. Let’s also assume that the Defendant (the person who caused the accident), is insured with Company X.
From the Plaintiff’s standpoint, the focus should be on his or her health. Getting medical treatment and working to get back to pre-accident condition is the most important thing, regardless of the case or any other factors. I always tell my clients to focus on getting well, and let me worry about the legal issues — that’s why they hired me in the first place. Once the Plaintiff reaches maximum medical improvement (a fancy and lawyerly way of saying they’re injuries are better) it’s time for the attorney to really dig in and get to work.
The attorney will have already notified the Defendant’s insurance company, Company X, that the attorney represents the Plaintiff. There might have been some other preliminary work that could have been done while waiting on the Plaintiff to receive treatment and get well. Once the Plaintiff is released from medical treatment, the attorney will gather the Plaintiff’s medical records and bills. lost wage documentation if the Plaintiff missed work, and any other documentation he thinks will be helpful to proving the Plaintiff’s case.
Once all of the documentation is received, the attorney will organize the information in a way that makes it paint a narrative of what the Plaintiff has been through. In my practice, I like to include a cover letter, which summarizes the medical treatment the Plaintiff received, lists the medical bills incurred, and explains any other relevant information that I think will be helpful to the case.
This information is reviewed with the client for accuracy, and then forwarded to Company X, the Defendant’s insurance carrier to be reviewed by a claims adjuster. Typically, the adjuster for Company X will review the information received, place a value range on the claim, and contact the Plaintiff’s lawyer to make an initial settlement offer.
The attorney will relay this offer to his client, and begin a series of negotiations with Company X with the hopes of being able to reach an agreement. If the two parties are unable to reach an agreement, the lawyer can file a lawsuit against the Defendant directly, and push the case into litigation.
If the parties are able to reach a settlement agreement, the company will pay a lump sum of money in exchange for a release. Most injury settlements are full and final, meaning the is no consideration for payment of future medical expenses, and the insurance company is not obligated to pay the Plaintiff any other forms of compensation in the future.
The money is generally sent to the Plaintiff’s lawyer to be disbursed. The lawyer will deposit the money into his Client Trust Account, provide his client with a detailed accounting of where the money should be disbursed, and have the client sign off on the disbursement before releasing the funds. These funds will go to pay the lawyer, pay the medical expenses, and of course, pay the Plaintiff.
Of course, this is just a general overview of the big-picture process that most attorneys go through when handling a car accident case, but every case is different.
So with all of this in mind, why do you need a lawyer?
As a former insurance adjuster, I can tell you that insurance carriers pay more money to people who are represented by an attorney, which hopefully leads to you receiving more money in the end (yes, even after the lawyer takes his fee).
Secondly, everyone has heard the phrase, “Everything you say can and will be used against you… ” and although that phrase is usually associated with criminal charges, it is still very relevant to personal injury cases. Insurance adjusters are master negotiators, trained to solicit information from you, and then use that information to save their companies money by paying you as little as possible on your case. A lawyer becomes your voice against the insurance company, and good lawyers know how to effectively communicate without compromising issues on your case.
If you’ve been injured in an accident, err on the side of caution and consult with an attorney about your rights before talking with the insurance company.
