By Dale Gribow
- Maybe your goal was not about pain and suffering compensation.
- Perhaps you hired your business lawyer, or an accident lawyer from LA who just graduated law school.
- Maybe you did not call the police, admitted partial fault and didn’t take cell pictures of the car’s property damage.
- Or witnesses left the scene without obtaining information because defendant admitted fault.
- Maybe you did not want to incur the cost of an ambulance and hospital bill.
- Perhaps you went to the insurance company’s body shop
- Maybe you gave a statement to the insurance company or waited 6 months to hire a lawyer after you unsuccessfully tried to handle the matter yourself and received a very low offer to settle.
- Perhaps you hid your prior auto or slip and fall accident from your lawyer and doctor.
- Treated with your family doctor, missed appointments and incurred a $1,000 med/legal report fee for the insurance company.
- Or were rear ended by an old car with a $15,000 policy and you did not have UM.
- Perhaps you went on Facebook and posted about your 3 skiing trips you took while ditching your PT, and posted about your weekly tennis matches and golf games.
- If you did these things you decreased your case value:
- You thought the insurance company would deal fairly with you for your losses.
- Your inexperienced attorney did not maximize your recovery by sending you to experts.
- Gaps in treatment decrease the value of your case as does not calling the police. It allows the defendant to change his/her story and the witnesses the scene without getting their information.
- No ambulance and immediate medical care suggests you were not hurt. Without a lawyers guidance you did not know your auto policy and the other drivers insurance would pay for all loses.
- An insurance company’s body shop only keeps their contract if they lowball car damage…a primary component of determining value of the claim. Some property damage can only be seen when the car is hoisted.
- It is hard to obtain a driver’s insurance company statement and it is not only what you said but what the adjuster thought he heard you say.
- Without a lawyer you hurt your case.
- With technology it is impossible to hide prior accidents and medical treatment.
- A family doctor may help you medically but their treatment of going home, soaking in a hot bath and taking aspirin limits your medicals and value of the case when you have to wait a month for your next appointment.
- With your $250,000 UM you can collect from your own insurance company.
- Facebook has almost done away with the need for defense investigation.
IF you have any suggestions for future articles contact me 760-837-7500 or dale@dalegribowlaw.com.
“TOP LAWYER” – Palm Springs Life PI 2011-2017
“TOP LAWYER” Inland Empire Magazine Nov 2016
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Weekly Accident Talk Show (ACCIDENTALLY YOURS) and Legal Columnist: LA & CV Paper/ Guest Society Columnist Desert Sun
