First, call 911.
Then, report all your injuries to the police, a doctor, and your insurance company. (Be sure to focus on your recovery when you’re with medical professionals — not what happened at the accident.)
Lastly, contact an experienced car accident attorney who can help you ensure you get compensation to complete your recovery.
While most lawyers charge an hourly rate or a flat fee for a specific service, personal injury lawyers like Champlain Valley Law typically charge a “contingency” fee. This means that we do not charge our clients until we’ve succeeded in bringing about an outcome in your favor.
A personal injury lawsuit is a type of civil lawsuit that requires filing a complaint for damages in your court clerk’s office, and having that complaint “served” to the other party. A personal injury claim, on the other hand, involves simply providing your insurance company (and any other relevant insurance companies) specific information about a claim of negligence within a specific timeframe.
At its most basic, a settlement is an agreement: the insurance company agrees to pay you a sum of money, and you agree to end your lawsuit, or not to bring one in the first place. A settlement can happen any time, any place–from the scene of the accident right up until the jury is about to give a verdict in your case.
You only get one chance to resolve your case: either by settlement, or by verdict. There are a number of factors that go into whether you should choose to settle.
These are 4 important elements for a valid car accident claim:
Contact us today to determine whether these things apply to your case and how we can help.
When you’re hurt in a car crash, your right to recover for your injuries is against the wrongdoer: the person who caused the crash. More likely than not, this person has insurance. This insurance company steps in on behalf of the wrongdoer and has the responsibility to pay you fairly for your injuries.
A policy limit is the dollar amount that represents the maximum amount of money the insurance company will pay for harm done to the injured person by the at-fault individual or company. Schedule a consultation with our legal team to discuss how this number could affect your personal injury case.
After a car crash, the other driver’s insurance company will often call you to get a statement. In most cases, it’s not a good idea for you to talk to the adjuster. They may try to use your statement against you or claim that you didn’t suffer the injuries you claim. If at all possible, discuss the idea of talking with the insurance adjuster with your personal injury lawyer ahead of time.
The sad truth is that many insurance companies are looking to dig up dirt in your medical records to prove that you weren’t truly hurt or that you were already hurt before the accident. They may look for old complaints of pain or discomfort, differences in how you described what happened, old x-rays, and preexisting conditions in order to disprove your version of the events.
”My experience with Drew Palcsik was phenomenal. Drew was patient, thorough, and professional and he guided me through my legal process with very solid, sound advice which ultimately led to a favorable outcome.
~ Debbie K.
© 2024 Champlain Valley Law. , R. Drew Palcsik, Attorney at Law, PLLC | 
(AND HOW TO AVOID THEM)
