Category Archives: Car Accidents

How To Deal With Insurance Adjusters After Accidents

This article provides several tips and important information for dealing with insurance adjusters after you have been involved in an accident.

Serious Car Accident Picture

Serious Car Accident Picture

Being involved in a car accident, bus accident, trucking accident, motorcycle accident, or any other accident with serious injuries can be devastating. In addition to the ever-rising medical bills, you are left to struggle to meet the costs demanded of daily living: paying the rent, buying food, and taking care of your family and children. When you are facing serious accident injuries and tremendous medical bills, you may be tempted to accept the first personal injury settlement offer presented to you by an insurance company or insurance adjuster. This article will hopefully provide you with valuable information about how to deal with insurance adjusters after accidents.

The First Offers From Insurance Companies Are Usually Low

The first accident injury settlement offer an insurance adjuster makes is usually on the low end, even if it sounds like a lot of money to you. Remember, insurance adjusters work for the insurance company and are trained to settle claims for the least amount of money possible. This is their business. Hiring an experienced Florida accident injury attorney can help level the playing field for you and your family. Our firm’s aggressive Florida accident injury attorney team consists of strong advocates fighting for your best interests in obtaining you maximum compensation for your insurance settlement.

Insurance Adjusters Think Accident Injury Victims Don’t Know The Value Of Their Claim

Serious Bus Accident Picture

Serious Bus Accident Picture

Many accident injury victims are not aware of the value of their claim and jump at the first offer from the insurance company. This is where an experienced accident injury attorney can help you deal with the insurance companies. Our experienced accident injury attorneys can help you calculate both immediate and future damages of your accident injuries. Some examples of serious damages from accident injuries include the following:

  • medical bills,
  • time missed from work (both now and in the future),
  • loss of earning potential,
  • impact of injury on lifestyle,
  • pain and suffering and
  • any other out-of-pocket expenses you may have incurred as a result of being involved in an accident.

What You Say To An Insurance Company Can Minimize The Value Of Your Claim

When an insurance adjustor contacts you to “help you settle your claim,” remember that he or she may try to get you to say things that will minimize the value of your claim. For this reason, it is important to have an experienced Florida accident injury attorney that knows how to deal with insurance adjusters after accidents and either negotiate a settlement or file an accident injury lawsuit on your behalf. Even if you try to cooperate with the at-fault party’s insurance company, your statements may be used against you and misconstrued to diminish the amount of money that you are legally entitled to receive for your accident injuries.

Early Contact By The Insurance Company Is A Strategy To Minimize Your Claim

Insurance Adjuster Waiver of Damage Form

Insurance adjusters also commonly try to contact accident victims soon after an accident before the victims are able to fully assess their injuries and/or damages. Often times, injuries take time to show up and are not discovered immediately after an accident. Some injuries even require significant treatment into the foreseeable future. By executing a waiver or any documents proposed by the insurance company before you are unaware of the full extent of your injuries and how they may impact your future, you may waive your right to receive compensation that could help get you back on your feet and back to work. It is best to refuse to speak to an insurance adjuster until you consult a qualified Florida accident injury attorney about how to deal with insurance adjusters after accidents.

After reaching a fair settlement with an insurance company, you may be asked to sign a “Release and Waiver” form. This form prevents you from filing additional claims or additional lawsuits in the future and asks you to give up certain rights that you may otherwise be entitled to. It is a good idea to have an experienced Florida accident injury attorney look over a “Release and Waiver” form before you sign it to make sure your best interests are protected.

A sound practice is to hire an attorney to handle all communication with an insurance company or insurance adjuster. Our experienced accident injury attorneys are generally able to settle accident injury claims for more money than accident victims who try to settle claims on their own. Remember, if you have been injured in a car accident, bus accident, trucking accident, motorcycle accident, or any other type of accident resulting in serious injuries, please call our experienced Florida accident injury attorneys toll free at (888) 252-0048 to receive a free consultation for your accident.

Car Accident Statistics and Assistance

The Florida Car Accident Attorneys of Gilman Law LLP are Here to Help You.

Accidents: Car Accidents | Truck Accidents | Motorcycle Accidents | Bus Accidents | Bicycle Injuries | Pedestrian Accidents

Have you or someone you love been injured in an automobile accident in Florida? The lawyers at Gilman Law LLP understand how devastating a serious accident can be and are committed to helping you recover.

If you have suffered injuries and financial damage in an automobile accident caused by the careless or reckless driving of another motorist, you shouldn’t have to worry about your medical bills and lost wages. The law entitles you to compensation, and our experienced Florida car accident lawyers will fight for your rights. Complete our online free consultation form or call toll free (888) 252-0048 for a free consultation. Our Florida auto accident attorneys serve clients across Florida, including Naples, Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Marco Island, Lee County, Collier County, Everglades City, Golden Gate, Immokalee, Bonita Springs and Sanibel.

If you’ve been in a Florida car accident, you’re not alone. Florida accident statistics show that in 2008, there were approximately 227,559 automobile accidents in Florida, resulting in 149,600 injuries and 2,106 deaths. Many people have injuries that leave them disabled and unable to work at the very moment that they have mounting medical bills. In the very worst cases, families lose a loved one. If you think we can help you recover from your serious injuries or serious loss, please do not hesitate to call our firm for a free accident injury consultation toll free at (888) 252-0048.

What causes Florida car accidents?

Driver error. Driver error and poor decision-making are the most common factors in car crashes. A fifth of all fatal accidents and nearly 40 percent of accidents resulting in injuries involve careless driving. Besides careless driving, other contributing causes to accidents include failure to yield right-of-way, improper lane changing, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, following too closely, speeding, improper passing, fatigue and disregarding traffic signals and stop signs. Distracted drivers — those talking on their cells phone or texting—are an increasing cause of accidents.

Car defects. There can be multiple contributing causes to an accident, and not all crashes are the fault of the driver. Defects in the vehicle can also cause accidents. In some cases, injuries suffered in an accident can be made worse by a manufacturer’s design, such as one that makes a vehicle less stable and more prone to rollover. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 280,000 rollover accidents are reported each year, claiming more than 10,000 lives annually. Sport utility vehicles are especially prone to this kind of accident.

Poor road maintenance or design. A poorly designed or maintained roadway or intersection also can cause an accident. Improperly placed traffic signs and signals can lead to unnecessary injury when motorists collide with them. In some cases, flawed designs or poorly maintained roadways will make the governmental agency responsible for the design or roadway maintenance legally liable for the injuries sustained in the accident. Our Florida car accident lawyers have successfully represented victims of poor road design.

Disrupted Lives

If you’ve been injured in a car accident, you know how your life has been disrupted. You may be losing income because you cannot work, and in extreme situations you may have a disability that will last a lifetime. You have prescription drug expenses and hospital or doctor bills. You want to be free of these financial concerns so you can focus on healing and recovery. A fair settlement will enable a car accident victim to maintain a good quality of life and look after their family.

How do you achieve that settlement? If you’ve been injured by another driver’s negligence, you are entitled to compensation from his or her insurance company. In many cases, there will not be enough coverage for all of your injuries, and you may be entitled to money from your own insurance company.  But insurance laws and regulations, particularly those involving Florida No Fault benefits, can be challenging to understand — and reimbursement of expenses can be difficult to obtain.

Also, Florida’s traffic laws are governed by a principle called “comparative negligence.”  That reduces the amount of compensation you receive if you are found responsible for any portion of the accident. The lawyers at Gilman Law LLP understand those laws and work tirelessly to minimize their impact on our clients, ensuring they receive a full and fair settlement.

If you’ve been in a Florida car accident, please note there are specific time limitations on filing a legal action to recover for your injuries. It’s important to act promptly.  Also note that special rules govern the liability of government agencies involved in car accidents. For instance, special notices must be filed against the government unit responsible for your injury — and within a certain time period before filing a lawsuit. A missed deadline or a mistake in filing could mean that you forever lose your right to recover damages for your injuries.

Experienced Representation

Given Florida’s complex laws and deadlines, it’s in your best interests to hire an experienced Florida car accident lawyer to represent you.

Our Florida car accident lawyers have helped hundreds of victims and their families rebuild their lives after a motor vehicle crash. If you or someone you love has been injured in a Florida car accident, you have valuable legal rights. Gilman Law LLP can help you protect them. Please fill out our online form, or call 1-800-LAW-INFO (1-800-529-4636) to discuss your case with one of the experienced auto accident lawyers at our firm.