The Seattle Personal Injury Blog
Posted Thursday, July 25, 2013 by
Chris Thayer
If your slip and fall injury resulted in mostly soft tissue injuries, it can be tough to prove your claim to the insurance company. A knowledgeable slip and fall attorney in Seattle can help, however.
So-called soft tissue injuries generally do not show up on traditional medical equipment like X-ray machines; for this reason they can be a tough sell, especially considering that the insurance company is less than eager to jump to agreement on a settlement. They may try many ploys to dodge responsibility, but an experienced slip and fall attorney in Seattle knows the common “tell-tale” signs an adjuster uses for claim rejection.
1 - High Medical Bills
As your slip and fall lawyer in Seattle knows, adjusters view soft tissue injuries with high medical bills and treatment skeptically. Make sure you have a board certified physician in a specialty that relates to your type of injury. A Slip and fall lawyer in Seattle will want to make sure the right doctor is treating you and adequately reporting. Additionally, chiropractors often get a bad rap with insurance adjusters.
2 - The Plaintiff-Friendly Doctor
Adjusters get suspicious if your doctor has a reputation of treating many patients with insurance claims or those referred often by plaintiff’s lawyers. Your slip and fall attorney in Seattle can help make sure the adjuster knows your doctor’s reputation is based on good care, top-notch credentials, experience, and qualifications.
3 - No Property Damage
Your slip and fall attorney in Seattle can explain in more detail, but the extent of your injury does not necessarily relate to the damage to your vehicle or other property. It is entirely possible that your property suffered no damage but you did.
4 - Boilerplate Medical Reports
Your slip and fall lawyer in Seattle is wary of the fact that sometimes doctors use boilerplate language in medical reports. This is especially true if multiple family members were hurt in the same accident. Your slip and fall attorney in Seattle can help make sure the doctors customize their reports.
For a detailed analysis of your case, contact Chris Thayer, an experienced slip and fall attorney in Seattle at (206) 340-2008.
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Posted Thursday, July 18, 2013 by
Chris Thayer
If you are fighting a slip and fall lawsuit, you should understand that the goal of your Seattle slip and fall attorney is to prove that the other party was negligent, leading to you sustaining your injury. Legally, there are several factors that must be proven to establish the other party’s negligence. Below is a list of these elements:
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Posted Thursday, July 11, 2013 by
Chris Thayer
Do I Have A Case? A Spinal cord injury lawyer in Seattle, WA gets asked this every day by prospective clients. That answer depends on a variety of factors ranging from the law, the individuals involved, and even the lawyer him or herself.
A seasoned Spinal cord injury attorney in Seattle, WA can provide a client who has suffered a back or neck injury with an assessment of the case. That said, it is not always easy to know from the outset whether a case will have weaknesses that are unforeseen.
A Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer in Seattle, WA on the Issue of Fault
A Spinal cord injury lawyer in Seattle, WA knows that “fault” is rarely clear cut. If the insurance adjuster argues you were at fault for your own injuries, this can impact the value of your case. Your lawyer can investigate and submit your case to the adjuster for you. If the adjuster is convinced any liability defense would fail at trial, your chances of settlement and case value can go up.
Other Issues Your Spinal Cord Injury Attorney in Seattle, WA Must Consider
Your Spinal cord injury lawyer in Seattle, WA will research the defendant. In some cases, the defendant may want to settle due to issues in his/her background (i.e. prior settlements against him, bad public image, pending criminal charges or government investigations).
If your spinal cord injury attorney in Seattle, WA has a winning track record, the insurance company knows this. While no lawyer can guarantee results, this can work in your favor.
Your attorney can seek an objective opinion of your case (i.e. from other lawyers, past experience, outcome of similar cases, software like Jury Verdict Research, Inc.). This can help give you a realistic idea of your case’s worth.
For more information about case value, contact Spinal cord injury lawyer in Seattle, WA Chris Thayer at (206) 240-2008.
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Posted Wednesday, July 3, 2013 by
Chris Thayer
While your Seattle personal injury attorney will be invaluable to the success of your claim, you will not be without responsibility of your own. There are several steps you can take to help your lawyer ensure a favorable outcome.
Documentation
Over the course of your claim, you will acquire what seems like an endless amount of documents. The best thing you can do is to provide copies of all documents to your Seattle personal injury attorney as you receive them, including medical bills and proof of lost wages. That is not to say once you’ve given over copies to your Seattle personal injury attorney you can discard these documents.
It is important that you keep an ongoing record and a file containing any documents you receive. Your attorney will not be able to access any of your medical information without your permission, so it is important that you sign a form with your doctor giving your Seattle personal injury attorney authorization to view your files.
Communication with Your Seattle Personal Injury Lawyer
Maintaining communication with your Seattle personal injury attorney is paramount to your claim. You should return all phone calls as soon as you are able and always carefully read anything he gives you. If he asks you to sign any forms, do so and return it to him immediately. Your Seattle personal injury lawyer will ask that you always be honest with him regardless of the issue. Remember that he is on your side. Furthermore, be sure your attorney is aware of any changes to your address, phone number, employment or marital statuses, or your injury.
Evidence
You can help your Seattle personal injury lawyer by photographing anything he finds necessary and keeping copies of the photos. You should also maintain a list of potential witnesses. Your medical record will be an important piece of evidence and will include any missed doctors’ appointments. Only miss an appointment if it is absolutely unavoidable.
Finding the Right Attorney
As you can see, you and your Seattle personal injury attorney will act as a team of sorts to prepare your personal injury claim. Thus, it is imperative that you find an attorney that you trust to work for and with you. Contact Chris Thayer for more information at (206) 340-2008.
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Posted Thursday, June 27, 2013 by
Chris Thayer
If you have been injured in an accident that was caused by another person, the last thing you need is to fight a battle to receive fair compensation. Regardless, insurance claims representatives use many different techniques to “lowball” your compensation offer – i.e., offer you as little money as possible. Injuries attorneys in Seattle are well aware of the tricks insurance companies use to deny you the damages you need.
Using Your Injury Attorney in Seattle against You
Sometimes a claims representative tries to use your injury attorney in Seattle against you. If you previously had were injured in a case for which you had legal representation, and the case took a long time to resolve because of the legal expenses involved, the claims representative may reduce his or her offer by half.
Saying You Were at Fault – An Injury Attorneys in Seattle Explains
Injury lawyers in Seattle have seen claims representatives try to say that claimants are at fault for damages that occurred after the accident. The representatives argue that these damages cannot be considered when the insurance company is offering an award. One example is an accident victim having his or her car stolen after the victim left the scene of the accident – in an ambulance.
Injury Attorneys in Seattle and Your Duty to Mitigate
As an injury victim, you are responsible for mitigating the damages of your accident as quickly as possible. Sometimes claims representatives will argue that certain actions you failed to take show that you failed to do this, and say that for this reason the insurance company will not pay a portion of the damages.
Injury Attorneys in Seattle Explain Keeping Premiums Down
Often injury lawyers in Seattle hear about claims representatives telling claimant that the only way to keep their insurance premiums from rising in the coming years is to accept a smaller settlement than they might otherwise be able to receive.
Talk to an Injury Attorney in Seattle Today
If an insurance claims representative is trying to lowball you, talk to an injury lawyer in Seattle. Call Chris Thayer at (206) 340-2008 today.
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