The Seattle Personal Injury Blog
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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Posted Tuesday, June 25, 2013 by
Chris Thayer
The entire role of insurance adjusters revolves around the ability to lower the amount of compensation provided to you. This is particularly unfortunate given that victims of accidents caused by another are often vulnerable, and are led by insurance companies to believe that they are on their side. If you’re having trouble with these adjusters, speak to a personal injury lawyer in Seattle.
Adjusters Have Their Own Personal Injury Lawyers in Seattle
Just as you have a personal injury lawyer in Seattle on your side, adjusters have theirs as well. The adjuster may have his or her personal injury attorney in Seattle draft a letter saying your case is worth less than it truly is.
Personal Injury Lawyers in Seattle Understand the “Geographic Defense”
The geographic defense is when adjusters offer less to claimants who don’t live in the state where the accident took place. They assume that the cost and inconvenience of pursuing the claim in another state will make the claimant take the first offer that is made. Stand up against such adjusters with the help of a personal injury lawyer in Seattle.
Personal Injury Lawyers in Seattle for the “Social Stigma” Defense
Personal injury attorneys in Seattle are often called upon when adjusters employ the “social stigma” defense. This is when adjusters offer less for a claim because an assumption is made that the victim’s social status would by seen as unfavorable by a jury. For instance, if you belong to a motorcycle gang, adjusters know that even though this may have nothing to do with what caused the accident, juries can reduce your award because of assumptions they make about you.
Speak to a Personal Injury Lawyer in Seattle
You don’t have to stand up to unscrupulous and unethical insurance adjusters alone. In fact, doing so can even hurt your case and decrease your chance at fair and appropriate compensation. Get a skilled personal injury attorney in Seattle like Chris Thayer to help. Call him today at (206) 340-2008.
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Posted Thursday, June 20, 2013 by
Chris Thayer
When insurance adjusters evaluate physicians for personal injury cases, they are looking for specific facts they can use to stir up doubt in your claim. Adjusters are not on your side, and do not want to see your claim succeed. If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident due to another party’s negligence, this is why it is important to have a skilled slip and fall attorney in Seattle on your side.
Slip and Fall Attorneys in Seattle Choose Doctors with Good Reputations
If your slip and fall attorney in Seattle referred you to a physician, it is likely because that physician has experience and skill. However, adjusters will often try to make the physician look like they’re running a “plaintiff mill” – one you are involved in to jack up your medical costs and potential compensation.
How Slip and Fall Attorneys in Seattle Defend Against Adjuster Accusations
Your slip and fall lawyers in Seattle will seek to minimize accusations and mischaracterizations made against these doctors. They may argue, for instance, that the physician has many patients not because he or she is running a “mill,” but because the doctor has the knowledge and ability to treat patients well.
Slip and Fall Attorneys in Seattle and Frequency of Treatment
Another thing adjusters look closely at is the frequency of treatment. If they feel it is disproportionate to your injury, that is another item that slip and fall attorneys in Seattle can help you with. Your slip and fall lawyers in Seattle can get reports from other physicians stating that the frequency of your treatment is appropriate for your particular condition.
Speak to a Slip and Fall Attorney in Seattle
You don’t have to stand up to insurance adjusters alone. In fact, doing so can even hurt your case, decreasing your chance at fair compensation. If you have been injured because of someone else’s negligence, you may be able to gain compensation. Insurance adjusters do not want this, and will fight to undermine your claim. Call a skilled and practiced slip and fall lawyer in Seattle for help. Chris Thayer is available at (206) 340-2008.
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Posted Thursday, June 13, 2013 by
Chris Thayer
Working with insurance adjusters can be tricky, and is often best left to an experienced spinal cord injury lawyer in Seattle, WA. Oftentimes accident victims are left wondering exactly what the role of adjuster entails.
The Truth from a Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer in Seattle, WAThe truth is that the insurance adjuster is not on your side. In fact, he or she is likely to try and determine your liability in the case. Could it be argued that you are guilty of comparative or contributory negligence? Do you bear any responsibility for the accident? Spinal cord injury lawyers in Seattle, WA see this all the time. The adjuster is looking or any reason he or she can find to decrease your compensation offer.
Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers in Seattle, WA are on Your SideYour spinal cord injury lawyers in Seattle, WA need to be very thorough when dealing with these adjusters. You don’t want to let them get away with providing less compensation than you need, yet they will be more than happy to leave you with a settlement inadequate to pay your medical and other expenses. Any investigator working for your spinal cord attorneys in Seattle, WA must supply a detailed – and preferably favorable – report to any adjusters.
Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers in Seattle, WA and Defending Your CaseYour spinal cord injury attorneys in Seattle, WA must present facts to adjusters the same way they would to a jury. This is done in order to convince the adjusters that their attempts to decrease your compensation may not hold up in court. Make sure that any legal representative you hire has an excellent track record in working with adjusters.
Speak to a Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer in Seattle, WASuffering an injury accident is difficult enough. Having to deal with uncooperative insurance adjusters just makes matters worse. If you have additional questions about the adjuster’s role in your case, speak to spinal cord injury attorney in Seattle, WA Chris Thayer. He can be reached at (206) 340-2008.
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