Personal Injury
Do you need an attorney?
If you have been injured in an auto accident, you will most likely need medical treatment to recover. You may also have to miss days from work, or hours of work, as you attend doctor appointments, physical therapy appointments, chiropractor appointments, etc. You may or may not have medical insurance coverage, personal injury protection coverage, or be on public assistance.
Do you know who is responsible for paying the bills?
Are you certain the billing department from the hospital or doctor's office knows which insurer to bill?
Do you want the fault party's insurance company to have access to your complete medical record?
When will you be reimbursed for your out-of-pocket costs, like medical and prescription co-pays?
Can you recover for the injuries you've suffered? What if you are permanently injured or impaired?
If you can't answer these questions yourself, right away, you should consult with an attorney. Whether you choose to retain an attorney or not, speaking with an experienced personal injury attorney is the best way to educate yourself and have peace of mind that you understand the process you are involved in, who's on your side and, more importantly, who isn't.
At The Manley Firm, we make sure your case is appropriately handled from day one, so you won't be victimized by someone who works for the other side, or get tricked into doing something that will damage your case.
CAUTION! The Interview and/or Recorded Statement
In most cases, the insurance company for the party who injured you, will want to speak with you right away, get a written or recorded statement, and simply get you on record as soon as possible after the accident. They especially want you to tell them everything you can about your injuries, right away, sometimes within 24 hours of the incident. Why? Because they know that many symptoms of injury do not reveal themselves until days, weeks or even months after the accident, and they want to "lock you in" on the claimed injuries so they can later say, "why didn't you claim that injury when we first talked to you", implying that you've made it up, or that the injury originated from other cause, not the accident with their insured.
CAUTION! The Vehicle Examination
Often times, if your car is at your home, the fault party's insurer will send a damage estimator to inspect your vehicle at your home or place of work. Should this happen, do not discuss your injuries with such persons. They can later be called and used as witnesses against you, claiming, for example, that you appeared physically "just fine" when they met you and inspected your vehicle.