I'm working on a case today where my client hired me eight months post crash. In these scenarios I can't fix past damage. For example, normally I can attempt to minimize my clients owed medical bills by putting them through health insurance if the provider takes health insurance.
Hospital bills are usually the issue here. One visit can cost $8,000.00. And Personal Injury Protection (PIP) usually covers the first $10,000.00. If the hospital bill is submitted to PIP it is usually paid in full leaving $2,000.00 for future treatment. However, if you put that $8,000.00 bill through health insurance it averages out to $2,000.00 and PIP can be directed to pay that leaving you with $8,000.00 instead of $2,000.00. If you have $8,000 for future treatment its going to make your payback on total medicals a lot lower and thus your recovery bigger (generally speaking).
The average person doesn't know any of that because they don't do this every single day so when a client comes to me eight months post crash and owes money to providers that eats into his or her recovery.
Another issue is insurance companies trying to pretend they are your friend. My experience has been the adjusters aren't asking you questions to help you. They are asking questions to try to create problems as far as liability and damages are concerned so when a client provides a recorded statement to a carrier it isn't the best of ideas (generally speaking). They also want health records releases. I worked on a case where my client had a lumbar (low back) spine injury 10 years ago, but no problems up until a crash with cervical (neck). The adjuster wanted to make a big deal about the injury ten years ago. Is that really acting in good faith? From my perspective it is not, but they have a job to do in saving the insurance company money so they are going to take positions that are not substantiated. Finally, the most offensive thing I see is pop out adjusters offering people between $1,000.00 and $1,500.00 right after a crash. There is NO WAY a person can intelligently determine the extent of their injuries right after a crash. I've seen an insurance company offer $1,000.00 to a guy with a torn rotator cuff. That should be illegal.
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