QUESTION

How do I deal with the other person's insurance company if they have accepted responsibility of the accident?

Asked on May 29th, 2013 on Personal Injury - Michigan
More details to this question:
My car was hit road side and spun 90 degrees. At the time, I didn't think I was hurt. By that night, my lower neck and lower back had pain that I'd never had before. Also my left knee was hurting. I've been to the doctor and he said we will wait for a bit before doing any MRIs. I know I will need the MRIs as the pain has not lessened. After the MRIs, how do I deal with the other person's insurance company? They have accepted responsibility for the accident.Their driver was on marijuana at the time of the accident.
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17 ANSWERS

Personal Injury Attorney serving Charlotte, NC at Paul Whitfield and Associates P.A.
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You need to get all the medical care you need and you need to get a good PI lawyer to help you evaluate your situation. You cant get along very well dealing with insurance pros. They are trained to take advantage of your ignorance of how things work. Get a lawyer
Answered on May 31st, 2013 at 11:10 AM

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My advice is hire an attorney to deal with the insurance company. Of course, you can try doing it yourself, but you will be at a substantial disadvantage, and probably will not be able to obtain the full value of your case. Remember, the insurance company's goal is to pay you as little as they can get away with. Don't let them do it to you. Get professional help.
Answered on May 31st, 2013 at 2:12 AM

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Ronald A. Steinberg
If you are smart, you will not deal with the insurance company. You will hire a lawyer to do it. I promise that if you do it yourself, you will screw it up, and/or you will not get what you are entitled to get.
Answered on May 31st, 2013 at 1:33 AM

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Auto Attorney serving Bloomfield Hills, MI at Gregory M. Janks, P.C.
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In Michigan your car insurer pays for your medical testing and treatment (also wage loss and replacement services). The other parties insurer(s) pays for any pain and suffering if you prove you suffered a serious impairment of a body function and/or permanent serious disfigurement. The value of this latter claim is not subject to specific quantification and depends on a number of variables. Although you can certainly try to handle your own claim, it is usually best to consult Michigan counsel that regularly handles such cases for more advice and most probably to represent you.
Answered on May 30th, 2013 at 9:21 AM

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James Eugene Hasser
If it looks like you are going to need p.t. and mri's and lose time from work, you may want to consider talking with a personal injury lawyer. It can get complicated. There are free books for consumers on Alabama accident law you may want to look at to get an idea of the issues you would have to deal with if you try to do it on your own. Just Google it.
Answered on May 30th, 2013 at 9:21 AM

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You need to retain a professional attorney who will send you for medical attention on lien basis.
Answered on May 30th, 2013 at 9:21 AM

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Alexis Anne Plunkett
In Nevada, due to the other driver's marijuana use, this case could easily involve punitive damages. You need to insist on an MRI, as the pain has not subsided. You should consult with a personal injury attorney as soon as possible, but do not feel pressured to choose an attorney before you are ready. Pick an attorney with whom you are comfortable, and let your attorney deal with the insurance company. This sounds like a case that is unlikely to settle without a complaint being filed.
Answered on May 30th, 2013 at 9:20 AM

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Car/Auto Accident Attorney serving Hacienda Heights, CA at Gary Lee Platt
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DO NOT try to deal with the other driver's insurance company yourself. They have lawyers who know exactly what to do and approximately what your case is worth when the case is ripe for settlement. You have NO chance of getting what you should get in settlement if you deal with them directly. You have plenty of time, and you should NEVER even think of trying to settle your case until you have either obtained all of the treatment you will need or at least know what that treatment will be, how much it will cost, and what your long-term prognosis will be. Find yourself a good personal injury lawyer (interview at least two, from different firms, and hire one who answers all your questions to your satisfaction). Your lawyer will tell you exactly what you need to do, find you one or more doctors, if you need them, get professional opinions on what specific injuries you have, which can be treated and how, and what the long-term effects of your injuries and treatment will be. Only when all this has been done can your lawyer analyze all the facts and come up with a range of values for your case and how you should go about trying to settle the case, if settlement is possible, or file a lawsuit and proceed from there.
Answered on May 29th, 2013 at 10:11 PM

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Monica Cecilia Castillo-Barraza
The other insurance carrier will try to settle the claim with you, if you have made a claim with them. If you don't agree with their settlement offer, then in calif you have 2 years from the injury date to file a lawsuit, if you choose to go that route.
Answered on May 29th, 2013 at 9:52 PM

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Personal Injury Attorney serving Portland, OR at Kaplan Law, LLC
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You should retain an injury attorney and not talk with the at fault driver's insurance company. They will low ball you on the offer to settle.
Answered on May 29th, 2013 at 9:44 PM

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Airplane Crash Litigation Attorney serving Towson, MD
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Make sure to get all of your records and bills. You would likely also benefit from physical therapy so ask your doctor about that or see another doctor who specializes in trauma (an orthopedist or physical medicine/sports rehab doctor). Then total the expenses, including any out of pocket expense for medication, lost wages, etc. and add an amount for pain and suffering. If they do not agree to your calculation then hire an attorney to obtain a fair settlement or sue for your damages.
Answered on May 29th, 2013 at 9:43 PM

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You provide the insurer with a settlement demand or you hire an attorney with personal injury litigation experience.
Answered on May 29th, 2013 at 9:40 PM

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Personal Injury Attorney serving Midvale, UT at Arrow Legal Solutions Group, P.C.
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Don't talk to them yourself. If you insist on not hiring an attorney, just provide them with all med records and bills. Ask them for an offer. Then consult with an attorney to see if he or she, thinks they can do any better. I take my contingency on what I get above the offer.
Answered on May 29th, 2013 at 9:39 PM

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Personal Injury Attorney serving Milwaukee, WI
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I think you should find a lawyer near you who represents injured people in personal injury cases. The determination of what fair compensation is for a particular case involves knowledge such lawyers have. If you try to handle the case without a lawyer, you might settle the case for a lot less money than you should. The time within which a lawsuit must be filed is three years from the date of the accident, so keep that deadline in mind.
Answered on May 29th, 2013 at 9:33 PM

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Personal Injury Attorney serving Beverly Hills, CA at Hyp Law Group
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There are multiple ways you can approach this. There are also many questions that we need answered before I can reply, such as when the accident occurred, who the carrier is the amount of property damages etc etc.
Answered on May 29th, 2013 at 9:30 PM

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The responsible party's insurance company should compensate you for your out of pocket expenses, wage loss and general pain and inconvenience. They do not have to pay the medical bills directly. You will not want to negotiate a settlement until you have been completely released from your treating doctors. Generally, clients will retain an attorney to deal with the Insurance company and to handle all the medical providers who are holding their hands out for payment. If you do not have private medical insurance to pay your bills until your case settles, your attorney should set up liens with your doctors to avoid sending your accounts to collections.
Answered on May 29th, 2013 at 9:27 PM

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Appellate Attorney serving Grosse Pointe Farms, MI at Musilli Brennan Associates, PLLC
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In Michigan you will make a claim on your insurance policy.
Answered on May 29th, 2013 at 9:25 PM

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