How Hiring an Attorney to Represent You for a Car Accident Claim Can Ensure You Are Protected and Receive Adequate Compensation
Courtney Cotter
Deciding on whether or not to hire an attorney to represent you for a motor vehicle accident claim/case can be stressful. Ultimately, hiring an attorney can ensure that you receive full and fair compensation for the injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident and that you are protected.
Seeking Medical Treatment for Injuries Sustained in the Car Wreck
One way hiring an attorney can be beneficial is if you need medical treatment but you do not have health insurance or you cannot afford treatment for your injuries. A lot of providers will not treat a patient unless they have health insurance, this can be extremely frustrating for an injured person that needs medical treatment for injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident. An attorney will likely have resources that he/she can connect you with. One major resource being the use of a funding company to fund your medical treatment. There are several factors that go into determining whether medical funding is right for you, hiring an attorney can help to alleviate this stress.
Health Insurance Subrogation
Another way hiring an attorney can be beneficial is when it comes to dealing with your health insurance company and its subrogation interest. When you are injured in a car accident you typically seek medical treatment, with medical treatment comes medical bills. I typically advised clients to have the provider bill his/her health insurance company. The reason for this being your health insurance company has contractual allowable amounts. For example: You have a medical bill that is $2,000.00, but your health insurance has a contract stating that the allowable amount is $200.00 this means the rest will be adjusted accordingly minus any deductibles you may have. If you do not use your health insurance you would be on the hook for the full $2,000.00.
Some clients will have the provider bill the auto insurance company. It is important to understand that if you are using MedPay to cover your bills, the insurance company will have a right to subrogation, this means that once you settle your personal injury case you will have to pay the MedPay claim back in full. Most auto insurance companies will not agree to any reduction of its subrogation lien and they will not try to negotiate the bill on your behalf.
Medical Bill Reductions
An attorney can also negotiate with the medical providers on your behalf to lower any outstanding bills. This is extremely helpful when you are dealing with a client that does not have auto insurance.
Negotiating with the Insurance Company
The insurance company, specifically the adjuster handling your claim is going to do everything in his/her power to make sure you get the least amount of compensation if he/she offers anything at all. The adjuster will demand you provide a recorded statement. The adjuster will use any statements made by you against you. It is important to make sure you are protected. I see this in some cases where a client called the insurance company the same day the accident occurred and told the adjuster that he/she was not injured only to be in great pain a day or two later. The adjuster will use the recorded statement where you stated you were not injured against you. As your attorney I can fight to ensure you are protected.
Hiring an attorney can ensure you receive the full and fair compensation you deserve. At Cotter Law it is our priority to take on the fight with the insurance company while you focus on recovering from your auto accident.
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