First Of All, We Should Be Your First Call If You Are Injured!
But Here Is A Secret: You Might Not Even Need An Accident & Personal Injury Lawyer!
We can help with this decision. Not every personal injury lawyer will tell you that not every accident or injury requires a a personal injury attorney to settle properly. Sometimes we lawyers just get in the way! Every case has different facts and circumstances which will dictate whether or not you need the services of an attorney. We can help.
As an example, which unfortunately happens too often in Virginia, if you are involved in an accident/personal injury event, which was not your fault, but the other party has an insurance policy with the lowest limits required by law in Virginia, which at best will not fully compensate you for your losses, then the insurance company might be offering you all that they have. In that case, it may actually be to your financial advantage NOT to have an attorney.
We have a Guarantee.
While it is definitely more advisable NOT to talk to any insurance adjuster, our firm does not mind giving free advice to clients regarding settlement offers from an insurance company. If a fair offer has been tendered, you should of course accept it. Getting an attorney involved will reduce your recovery by at least 1/3, although you should know that we have a guarantee… See below.*
To Cooperate or Not to Cooperate; that is the Question.
After your accident/personal injury, the insurance company for the driver or person at fault (if that is obvious) will contact you to obtain information about the accident, including medical bills, lost wages, and property damage to the vehicle. You are not required to do so, but if you choose to cooperate with these requests, the insurance adjuster will likely offer you some settlement offer in an attempt to avoid an expensive court battle. Figuring out whether or not to cooperate is usually the important initial question for which you need to talk to a lawyer. You have come to the right firm. We can help.
Even the Nicest Adjusters are NOT your Friends!
Not all adjusters are actors; many might actually be sympathetic to you, but they are not your friends. Make no mistake: they have a very defined job to do—save the company money. Period.
It is therefore imperative that you are very careful about what information, especially statements, recorded or otherwise, made to the insurance company when liability or fault is going to be contested. Remember, it is the insurance adjuster’s JOB to prove your fault or your contributing negligence in the accident to diminish the value of your claim, or to preclude you from having a legitimate claim. He or she is paid to save the insurance company money.
THE RULE: When in doubt, retain an personal injury attorney as early as possible on in the process and make no statements! Even when you are not at fault in your accident/personal injury event, and this seems to be clear, adjusters are paid to “low ball” you with an offer that may not at all be fair for the injuries, damages, and pain and suffering you have endured.
Potential Insurance Coverages can Hide.
BEWARE: Another important consideration you must know when deciding to involve an attorney in your case is that there are almost always multiple insurance sources you can access to help pay your damages. If the person at fault (in a car accident or otherwise) has multiple types of insurance and policies, automotive and home, sometimes even those of close relatives, that might apply, it is not always easy to discover that information.
It is not in the insurance company’s interest to help you in this regard of course. Also, in the insurance company’s defense, the party at fault might have insurance with different companies with which even the adjuster is unaware.
An attorney retained for your case can formally require production of this information to help you recover properly for your injuries. He or she can also protect you in the event that additional insurance is later discovered that will help pay for your damages. Attorneys also have ways to formally locate certain types of insurance coverages that might apply to your case.
Life-Altering Injuries can Also Hide.
If you feel you have suffered only minimal injury or damages, it might not be worth getting an attorney involved. Some folks think that if they get a “good personal injury lawyer” that he or she can find ways to make the damage figure higher by advising that the injured get unnecessary medical treatment and/or get treatment from unscrupulous doctors. Aside from the ethical considerations, these types of claims will likely cost you more in the long run, and tend to turn Judges or juries against you—not good for your legitimate claim!
NOTE: ALWAYS get a thorough check-up by your physician following an accident or personal injury. Your doctor will likely tell you that some injuries which at first seem minor, can develop into serious life altering conditions later. Never assume that just because you are able to “walk away” from the site of any accident (automobile or otherwise), that you are fine medically.
*The Guarantee.
In any case, we will never take a larger recovery than our client receives. In some cases, after payment of costs and medical expenses, for example, if we were to take our entire fee percentage, the remaining amount of money would leave our client, the injured one, taking home less than our fee. We won’t do that. We will negotiate with you to be sure that you are compensated more than your personal injury lawyers are. This is only right. You have come to the right firm; we believe that your circumstances will soon improve. Our personal injury lawyer looks forward to taking very good care of you in that process.
Contact us at Holcomb Law to schedule your “No Hassle Legal Strategy Meeting,” (no sales pitch) at which our personal injury lawyer will answer ALL your questions and show you your options. 757-659-1233 or info@attorneyholcomb.com. We will take very good care of you.