In order to file a successful claim, there are many steps after an accident and certain mistakes to avoid. You will need a New York lawyer by your side to make sure that you get the compensation you deserve. Here are 3 things to know after an accident that we have put together for you. Contact our office today for a free consultation.
1. Why You Should Choose Us as Your Injury Attorneys
We are significantly different than many of the law firms that currently operate in the Western New York area. All our lawyers have considerable experience both in personal injury and as trial lawyers. Our lawyers have all tried cases pertaining to the negligence of others. We do not delegate cases to lawyers with little experience; we handle each case as if it is our only case. Because of our focus and commitment, we are able to maximize the recoveries that we obtain for our clients. All our lawyers are trained in understanding medicine, as this allows us to effectively argue cases in discussions with doctors, adjusters, and jurors. Our defining feature is our pledge to never settle cases merely to bring them to a quick end. We strive to advocate for our clients in their dealings with insurance companies, and we ensure that we maximize our clients’ compensation.
2. What Items to Bring to Your Free Consultation
In the complimentary first consultation, we ask that potential clients simply bring information about the accident, knowledge of their injuries, and any further data that they might have pertaining to the case. When clients meet with my office for the first time, the case may have just begun and clients may not yet have very much documentation to aid in the case. For this reason, we encourage people in premise liability cases, if possible, to snap photographs and bring them in. We prefer to have these photos emailed to our office so we can digitally save them to our individual clients’ files. In addition, we ask our clients to provide us with the names and phone numbers of witnesses or a police accident report. If our clients do not have access to these documents, our office can obtain them easily.
3. Insurance Companies Aren’t Your Friends
It is not the place for insurance companies to tell people whether they need a lawyer. This a decision that is outside of the companies’ realm of expertise, but that does not necessarily always stop the companies from trying to advise people. Again, insurance companies have a responsibility to their shareholders, and that responsibility is to pay as little as they can on each claim. A common tactic among insurance companies involves making an offer early on to a potential claimant, and this offer is typically a paltry sum that might encourage that claimant to buy out of a claim. Offers like these are often in the range of $500 to $1,000. The companies do this because they want to make sure that they protect themselves. Even if a case does not have value to it by the law of averages, they may buy out of a case for $500 or $1,000 that’s worth $100,000.
Once a claimant has signed a document that says that he or she is releasing the insurance company from any and all further claims, and once the claimant is paid money, the case is over. If a case has been settled for a meager $500, but surgery becomes necessary to fix injuries related to the accident, even if the case became a multi-million dollar case, signing that document means that the case can no longer be pursued. Only an attorney who understands medicine knows what a case is truly worth. Consulting an insurance adjuster for advice will only harm a case; the adjuster has the goal of protecting her or his company, and I tell all my clients to be skeptical if an adjuster tries to make decisions on their behalf and encourage them to forego hiring an attorney.
Contact New York Accident Attorneys Today
We hope you keep these 3 things to know after an accident in mind as you begin the process of fighting for full recovery. We want to help get you through this in any way we can. Andrews, Bernstein & Maranto, PLLC can provide the assertive yet compassionate support you need to move forward with your life as quickly and easily as possible. If you have any other questions about accident claims, please contact our experienced New York personal injury attorneys today to schedule a free consultation.
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