If you have been injured through no fault of your own, the deck is stacked against you from the start. Large insurance companies have teams of aggressive lawyers ready to deny claims and minimize payouts. Without experienced legal representation, injury victims often struggle to get fair compensation. Personal injury attorneys possess the expertise and resources to go toe-to-toe with even the most formidable insurance defense teams.
Investigation of the incident
Accident liability is the top priority for insurance companies. They will seize upon any inconsistencies or gaps in an injury victim’s account to deny claims. However, personal injury lawyers conduct exhaustive investigations leaving no stone unturned. Obtaining police reports, testing eyewitnesses, photographing, analyzing, recreating, and consulting experts are all part of this process. Presented with a fully documented sequence of events proving liability beyond any doubt, insurers have no wiggle room to shirk responsibility. Thorough legwork removing all liability doubts evens the playing field from the start.
Obtaining all pertinent medical records
Insurers often allege claimants are exaggerating injuries to inflate compensation. A personal injury attorney collects complete medical records. Hospital records, diagnostic results, therapy notes, and examination reports are obtained. Treating physicians also be asked to write narrative reports explaining diagnoses, treatments, and prognoses. Documenting the full extent of injuries with precise medical evidence brooks no debate. When injuries and recovery outlook are confirmed in black-and-white, insurers cannot credibly dispute their severity. Comprehensive medical records prevent lowball compensation offers.
Consulting medical experts
In severe injury cases, insurance companies frequently have plaintiffs examined by “independent” doctors who downplay the extent of injuries. Lawyers combat such tactics by retaining renowned medical experts. Specialists examine claimants and supply reports supporting injury claims. The expert opinion prevents insurers from dismissing injury victims’ claims as exaggerated. Their affirmation of injury severity and impairment makes adequate compensation undeniable.
Even proven injuries do not translate into fair settlements if losses aren’t calculated correctly. Insurers pounce on any vagueness about past and future costs to minimize payouts. chronic pain lawyers in brampton leave no stone unturned in documenting all financial losses with precision. Itemizing medical bills, lost income, reduced earning capacity, equipment, therapy, and other costs quantify damages. Finance and vocational experts help attorneys estimate losses. Detailed damage breakdowns give insurers no room to quibble over compensation amounts.
Negotiating tenaciously
In settlement talks, insurers often make unreasonably low offers hoping desperate claimants will accept. Personal injury lawyers reject such tactics and negotiate firmly for maximum reasonable compensation aligned with actual losses. Savvy attorneys start negotiations high, expecting insurers to talk down amounts. Even if an insurer won’t budge on a settlement number, lawyers explore other avenues for additional compensation. This includes stacking multiple insurance policies or pressing for policy limit payouts. Tenacious negotiating by seasoned attorneys results in settlements that adequately cover victims’ losses, not insultingly low amounts insurers try to slide by with.
Even with a favorable settlement or court award, taxes take a significant bite out of compensation if structured improperly. Personal injury lawyers know how to allocate damages to types that aren’t taxable like pain and suffering. Attorneys also arrange structured settlements or annuities granting tax advantages. The tax expertise of personal injury lawyers ensures claimants maximize final compensation instead of seeing a chunk taken by the IRS. This is knowledge most citizens lack when settling directly with insurers.
