Victims who are injured in accidents caused by another party can not only result in painful injuries that require medical treatment and recovery, but these situations can also result in financial difficulties if the victim is unable to work while they recover from their injuries.
Insurance companies know this and often take advantage of the stress and worry the victim may be dealing with over mounting medical bills and lack of wages. Knowing this, the insurance company will do everything they can to get you to settle your case as quickly as possible, as well as discouraging you from retaining an attorney to represent you. Without an attorney and at the mercy of the insurance company, many victims end up settling for far less than the amount they actually deserve for the losses they have suffered, as well as future losses their injuries will cause them.
If you have been injured in an accident, call the Virginia personal injury law firm of Shapiro, Appleton & Washburn to speak with one of our attorneys before you agree to settle your case. The consultation is both free and confidential.
Many victims do not realize – and the insurance company may not be upfront with this information – but once you sign a release, your case is over for good. There is not going back in the future to pursue more money when you discover that your losses are actually thousands and thousands of dollars more than what the insurance company settlement you agreed to was. Other reasons why you should contact an attorney before settling include:
The insurance company may try to use your medical history against you: Victims are not required to give the insurance company privileged and private medical history to the insurance company. This information is irrelevant to your current injuries. However, many victims do not realize this and turn over their medical history to the insurance adjuster handling their claim. It is not uncommon for insurance companies to try to deny the claim on the basis that the victim’s medical history either caused or played a role in the injuries they sustained in the accident.
Another reason a victim should retain a Virginia car accident attorney is that the victim should never talk with the insurance company on their own. They should have an attorney to handle all communications for them. Insurance adjusters are trained to manipulate conversations and ask questions in such a way to elicit certain responses. The company then uses these responses against the victim as a defense to deny the claim.
Contact Our Office Today
If you or a loved one has suffered injuries as a result of another party’s negligent or reckless actions, contact a Virginia Beach personal injury attorney from Shapiro, Appleton & Washburn. Do not speak with the other driver’s insurance company before contacting our firm, otherwise, your claim could be jeopardized.
It is also important to remember that Virginia has placed a statute of limitations on how long victims have to file a claim for damages against those responsible for their injuries, so do not delay. Failure to file before that legal deadline could mean you lose any chance of ever filing your claim or getting justice against the person responsible for you or your loved one’s injuries.
Contact our office today at 800-752-0042 to set up a free and confidential case evaluation with one of our dedicated Virginia accident attorneys. You may be entitled to financial compensation for medical expenses, loss of income, pain and suffering, emotional anguish, permanent disability, scarring, and disfigurement. Call our office to find out how we can help.
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An experienced personal injury attorney with dual licensure in Virginia and North Carolina, Eric Washburn received a B.B.A. in Finance from James Madison University—initially worked in the information technology field before obtaining his law degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan. Once an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney in Danville, Va., Eric has been recognized by Super Lawyers Magazine as a “Rising Star” Super Lawyer in Virginia since 2014.
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