Michael Padway & Associates logo

What Kind Of Documents Are Involved In A Motorcycle Accident Case?

The paperwork goes on and on.

Virtually every insurance company has some kind of computer system they use in their claims process. Those computer systems are very detailed.

For example, if your medical records show that you have a prescription, the computer programs asks the adjuste enter the number of pills in each prescription and whether or not it was refilled. The implication is that if you didn’t refill it, you didn’t need more medication.  They will say, “If you didn’t refill your prescription, you must have been feeling a lot better.”

Because the insurance claims person needs that kind of detail in order to put together a decent settlement offer, someone has got to provide all of that information to the adjuster.  Not only do they want the information but everything has to be verified.  If it can be verified in different ways, it will be verified in different ways.

It’s possible or conceivable that someone who had nothing else to do and was very, very lucky could put together all of that information.  However, it’s much more likely that if you’ve just been in an accident and you are badly injured, you will be far better off hiring an attorney to do this for you in their well-staffed law office.

Should I Try to Work with Insurance Companies Before Hiring a Lawyer?

If you delay hiring an attorney, that means that the attorney is going to be delayed in starting investigation. The insurance company is not going to be delayed. They are going to have people out talking to the witnesses and trying to convince them of their insured’s side of the case. They are going to be out there taking photographs that they think are helpful to them .They are going to get a copy of the police report and doing anything else that they think is useful to put together a defense to your case.   You are not in a position to be doing the same for yourself.

By trying to work with the insurance company without a lawyer, you give them direct access to you. They will ask you for authorizations to get direct access to your medical records without anyone ever looking at them first.  They will be able to see whatever is in your records, related to the accident or not.  This is not good for your case.

People find over and over again that they do better when they hire an attorney than they can do by themselves. Evers major study has found that, even after attorney’s fees and costs, people get more money if they use a lawyer.  The fact is that it’s very, very difficult to settle a case without a lawyer. What’s most likely to happen without a lawyer is the insurance company will stall and delay your case.  Meanwhile, they will keep asking you for “one more thing” and “one more thing” and “one more thing”.  Suddenly you realize that it’s a year later and you’re no closer to a settlement, at which point you will finally give up and go to an attorney.  By then you will be pretty much behind the eight ball.

Do You Handle All Negotiations on a Client’s Behalf Regarding a Possible Settlement With the Other Party’s Insurance Company, or Do Your Clients Participate in the Negotiation Process?

Any attorney who does this work has a lot of cases. Most clients have one case, so that case is very important. The way that it should work is that the client should authorize any demand that’s made and absolutely has to authorize any settlement that’s negotiated.

The attorney should be an adviser to the client.  I suggest the amount that should be demanded and suggestions of what the attorney thinks is a reasonable settlement but you are always the one who ultimately makes the decision. The decision is not and never should be the attorney’s to make. Your attorney works to negotiate for you, but it is your case.

How Can You Help Clients Get the Compensation They Deserve?

I’ve been doing this for decades.  Over time, I have learned what it takes to present a case in a way that’s going to get a good result.  Because I know what is required, I have set up my practice to guide my clients every step of the way.   Working together,  the needed information is packaged in exactly the way that will be most effective.  By demonstrating that we’re able to prove everything that we need to prove we are better able to settle your case.

I walk my clients through each and every one of these steps and I prepare them for every step in the process. We make sure they understand what is required, and how to be most effective.  My clients regularly tell me how pleased they are.  They tell me we make them very comfortable about the process, and they are amazed at how effective this all is.

For more information on Hiring A Motorcycle Accident Attorney, a free initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you’re seeking by calling (800) 928-1511 today.

Surviving The Crash

Essential Guide To Knowing Your Rights

Free Download