The Seattle Personal Injury Blog
Posted Tuesday, May 7, 2013 by
Chris Thayer
Once a Seattle spinal cord injury attorney agrees to represent you in your personal injury case, your attorney will begin taking steps to negotiate a settlement with the insurance company. It is critical that you retain the services of an experienced and knowledgeable Seattle spinal cord injury attorney to represent you in your personal injury matter. Your personal injury attorney will need to know how to successfully negotiate a settlement with the insurance company.
Placing a Value on Your Personal Injury Case
After evaluating your case and conducting any further investigation that may be necessary, your Seattle spinal cord injury lawyer will place a value on your case. While it is not possible for your attorney to place an exact value on your case, an experienced Seattle spinal cord injury lawyer can usually estimate the range in which the insurance company should agree to settle. If the insurance company refuses to settle within that range, then your Seattle spinal cord injury attorney may advise you to not take the settlement offer.
What If I Want to Settle Anyway
In some cases, when the insurance company offers a settlement amount that is well below the value of the case, the client will be tempted to accept the settlement offer. Sometimes clients simply do not want to deal with the stress of litigation or they would rather collect some money rather than no money at all.
Whenever your Seattle spinal cord injury attorney receives a settlement offer from the insurance company, they are ethically obligated to inform you of the offer. Your Seattle spinal cord injury attorney will advise you as to how to handle the offer but the decision to either accept or decline the offer is ultimately yours. However, when considering whether to accept or decline an offer, keep in mind that your Seattle spinal cord injury lawyer has a wealth of experience and knowledge regarding the settlement negotiation process and you should place a high value on any advice that you are given by your attorney.
Contact Us
If you have been injured in an accident through little or no fault of your own, call experienced Seattle spinal cord injury attorney Chris Thayer today at (206) 340-2008 to schedule an initial case consultation.
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Posted Friday, April 26, 2013 by
Chris Thayer
If you try to negotiate with an insurance adjuster without a personal injury attorney in Seattle, WA, you will likely hear the excuse that the adjuster doesn’t have appropriate authority to approve a settlement in the amount you deserve.Most attorneys will tell you this is not true, and merely a negotiation tactic adjusters use to avoid paying you a fair settlement.
It is important to consult with a personal injury attorney sooner rather than later to ensure that your rights are protected. An experienced personal attorney may not know the exact amount an adjuster is authorized to pay, but he will be able to come up with a rough guess based on the adjuster’s demeanor and the strengths and weaknesses of your case.
Often, the first offer from the insurance adjuster will be less than half the amount he is authorized to pay. An adjuster’s job performance is judged, in part, on his ability to settle cases for less than this amount, so don’t expect an adjuster to truly give you his best offer.
Factors Affecting Settlement Value
There are many factors that affect the value of your claim. Your personal injury attorney in Seattle, WA will look at the specific merits of your case, but some of the more general things to consider are the following:
- Medical expenses.
- Lost wages.
- Permanent disability.
- Medical proof of your injury.
- List item.
Most Cases Settle
As your case gets closer to trial, the defense attorney may make an offer that more closely approaches the insurer’s true bottom line. It is important that your attorney be prepared to go to court, but don’t be surprised if your case settles on the eve of trial.
In small injury cases especially, it doesn’t make much sense for the insurer to take your case to trial. Their legal costs will be higher if their attorney needs to prepare for court, and the insurer wants to guard against the outside chance that you receive a large verdict.
For a free evaluation of your claim and what to expect, contact Chris Thayer, a personal injury attorney in Seattle, WA, at (206) 340-2008.
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Posted Monday, April 22, 2013 by
Chris Thayer
Contacting a Seattle motorcycle accident attorney shortly after your accident is important for many reasons. Unfortunately, many accident victims do irreparable damage to their claims by communicating with an insurance adjuster without proper legal representation.
Having your personal injury attorney communicate directly with the insurance adjuster puts you in a position of power. This is because your attorney controls the information that is available to the adjuster.
Your attorney will not lie to the adjuster, of course, but he or she will be sure to emphasize your claim’s strengths and downplay or explain its weaknesses. Your attorney is also likely to know exactly what information the adjuster will find convincing or unconvincing.
Formal Discovery Is Less Forgiving
If your Seattle motorcycle accident attorney cannot reach a settlement agreement with the insurance adjuster, your file will be handed off to a defense attorney employed by the insurance company.
At this point, discovery becomes much more formal, and the defense attorney has various legal procedures at his or her disposal. For example, you may need to respond to interrogatories or produce various documents such as medical records.
As your case gets closer to trial, you may have to participate in a process known as “deposition.” In a deposition, as in a trial, you will need to testify under oath. Though a deposition does not take place in a courtroom, it is something you should take very seriously.
Much of your pre-trial preparation will revolve around getting ready for your deposition. Your Seattle motorcycle accident attorney will let you know what kinds of questions to expect and how to answer them in a way that is helpful for your case.
Weaknesses Make Settlement Less Likely
Any weaknesses in your motorcycle accident case will result in a lower settlement offer. Your attorney must strike a delicate balance between trying for an early settlement and seeming too eager to settle.
Contact
If you have been injured, you need to make sure your rights are protected and your case is presented in the best possible light. Contact Seattle motorcycle accident attorney Chris Thayer at (206) 340-2008 for a free evaluation of your claim.
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Posted Monday, April 22, 2013 by
Chris Thayer
When preparing to negotiate with the insurance company, your Seattle truck accident attorney may seem unconcerned with some evidence you consider very relevant. This is because the things that insurance companies consider important are not necessarily the same things ordinary people care about.
For example, if you were telling your friend about your truck accident, you’re likely to mention the extreme pain you’ve had to endure or the emotional toll it has taken on you. You’re unlikely to mention what specific medications you’re taking or the dates of your medical appointments.
As a general rule of thumb, insurance companies are much more concerned with the things you can prove—either with medical evidence or with financial documentation. They are far less concerned with intangible damages like pain and suffering.
Although testimony from family and friends may be useful to establish what your life was like before and after the accident, you would do well to focus on the following areas when gathering evidence.
Medical Bills
Provide your Seattle truck accident attorney with medical bills, no matter how minor they may seem. Even if they don’t add up to a lot of money, just showing that you have been obtaining regular care for your injuries helps to demonstrate that your injuries are real.
Keep detailed notes about doctor’s appointments and the different medical professionals you have seen. This information may become important if you need to testify at trial or in a deposition. Also consider saving empty prescription bottles.
Lost Income
Being seriously injured in a truck accident can hurt your finances in two ways. On one hand, you may be facing substantial medical costs, especially if you don’t have good health insurance. On the other hand, you may have lost your primary source of income if you’ve been forced to miss work.
Your employer may be able to provide you with a letter detailing how much work you have missed because of your accident. Also be sure to provide proof of how much you were paid when you were still working.
Contact
For more information about gathering evidence for your personal injury case, call Seattle truck accident attorney Chris Thayer at (206) 340-2008.
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Posted Monday, April 22, 2013 by
Chris Thayer
If you and your car accident attorney in Seattle don’t reach a settlement with the insurance adjuster, your claim will be handed off to an insurance defense attorney. It is still possible that your case will settle at this stage, but you may find it is more difficult.
Most attorneys settle more cases than they take to court, but attorneys on the insurance company payroll don’t have a strong incentive to avoid trial. In fact, they may be more inclined to go to trial because that is how they make most of their money.
Insurance defense attorneys simply bill the insurer for their hourly work. They don’t get paid based on how much or how little your case settles for.
Preparing for trial takes time, and while you and your car accident attorney in Seattle may want to avoid trial, the defense attorney probably doesn’t care one way or the other.
How Can I Get a Fair Settlement?
The best thing you can do to increase your chances of a favorable settlement is hiring an experienced car accident attorney in Seattle, preferably one who has trial experience. If the defense attorney thinks that you are legitimately prepared to go to trial and not just using the threat of court as a bargaining chip, you may find him or her more willing to settle.
Some factors that lead to successful settlements are out of your control. These include the insurer’s overall philosophy about settlements. Certain insurers have developed reputations for taking almost any claim to trial, no matter how small.
Insurers are especially unwilling to make fair settlement offers when it comes to soft tissue injury cases. It is important for you to keep careful records of your damages, including medical bills and lost wages from time off from work.
Insurance defense attorneys may think they can convince jurors you are faking or exaggerating your injuries, but this becomes harder the more concrete proof you are able to present.
We Can Help
If you have been injured and are not already represented by a car accident attorney in Seattle, please call Chris Thayer at (206) 340-2008 for a free evaluation of your claim.
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