Personal injury lawyers focus their law practices on negotiating, settling and litigating injury claims. Injury claims are paid out by liability insurance policies.
The average person is likely most familiar with auto insurance liability policies since most drivers carry liability insurance. In Georgia, drivers are legally required to maintain at least 25/50/25 insurance, or $25,000 of bodily injury liability per person/$50,000 bodily injury liability per accident and $25,000 property damage liability insurance.
If you’re injured in an accident caused by another driver with minimum insurance, you can file a claim against that driver’s insurance policy. Their insurance company should pay you up to $25,000. If your passengers or passengers in other vehicles were also injured, the responsible driver’s insurance should pay up to $50,000 in total to cover medical costs and lost wages, plus up to $25,000 in property damage costs.
The basic idea behind injury claims isn’t all that complicated:
In practice, the process isn’t always that straightforward. The insurance company may dispute the cause of the accident. They might argue you were at fault instead of their policyholder.
The insurer might also question the source of your injuries, or they may suggest your injuries were due to a pre-existing condition.
If you include the cost of your lost wages in your claim, the insurance company may question whether your injuries actually prevented you from working.
Disputed claims can often be resolved with evidence. If the insurance company questions the cost of your treatments or the source of your injuries, you can provide documentation from your doctor. If the insurance company disputes your lost wages, you can provide pay stubs to show how much money you lost from being unable to work.
Claim disputes often become complicated and difficult. Most people don’t regularly participate in contentious claim negotiations. The injured person will be negotiating against a professional claims adjuster with a bag of negotiating tricks.
For example, people whose car accident injuries prevent them from working are often desperate for money just to pay their rent and put food on the table. The insurance company may use the injured person’s desperation as leverage, suggesting it would be better for them to accept a lower claim payment now so they can get some money fast instead of holding out for the full amount they’re owed.
Auto insurers made approximately $29 billion in profits in 2020, in part due to the pandemic. People were still paying their premiums but driving less, which meant fewer accidents and fewer claim payments. Although 2020 may have been an aberration, it clearly demonstrates how the insurance industry operates – rake in premiums while minimizing claim payments.
Insurance companies haven’t maintained those massive profits by being generous toward people who are injured. If they can avoid paying full claim values, they will do so.
Personal injury lawyers ensure people who rely on those claim payments to make a full physical and financial recovery get the money they need.
The process generally includes investigating the accident, compiling information on the injuries, calculating the total short-term and long-term costs and negotiating for the most advantageous injury claim payment possible.
Unfortunately, insurance companies aren’t always willing to negotiate a fair payment. If they refuse to pay the money you’re owed, it may be necessary to take the insurance company and their policyholder to court.
Personal injury attorneys are also trial lawyers, and they should be willing to represent their clients in court to fight for the compensation they need to recover.
If the insurance company is disputing your injury claim or offering you less than you need to cover your medical expenses and lost wages, it may be time to call a personal injury lawyer. Personal injury lawyer Joseph Zdrilich is dedicated to taking on the insurance company on behalf of his clients. He has a long history of winning exceptional results, and he’s ready to put that experience to work on your case.
Call (770) 931-9604 for a free case evaluation.
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Zdrilich Injury Law is committed to helping injured Georgians receive the money they need to recover physically and financially after an accident.
Zdrilich Injury Law, LLC providers one-on-one representation to car accident, truck accident and workers’ compensation clients in Georgia.
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