1. I was in an accident, I need an attorney but I don’t have any money, what should I do?
3. Who determines who is at fault after an auto accident?
4. I feel sorry for the person who hit me if I hire an attorney, will their insurance rates go up?
6. I just had a wreck what do I do?
8. I gave the insurance company a recorded statement is it too late to hire an attorney?
9. I have no transportation because of the accident and I want to hire your firm what do I do?
13. What is policy limits on a case?
14. How do I protect myself against uninsured or underinsured drivers?
15. I got in an accident and the other driver does not have insurance what do I do?
1. I was in an accident, I need an attorney but I don’t have any money, what should I do?
That’s ok, in personal injury cases attorney’s work on a contingency fee basis, this means they get a percentage of the amount that they negotiate. You don’t have to pay any money out of pocket and the attorney takes all the risk. In addition, the more the attorney negotiates on your behalf the better it is for you and the attorney.
2. I don’t like lawsuits, court, or confrontation, if I hire an attorney does that mean I have to go through all of that?
No, in many cases the attorney and the insurance company will negotiate a reasonable amount and the trial process is not necessary, however, at the law offices of Scott Pryor we always prepare the case and are ready to go to trial if the insurance company refuses to compensate our clients fairly. In addition, even if a lawsuit is filed there still is a chance for the case to settle out of court before a trial, again, at the law offices of Scott Pryor, we prepare the case to take it all the way to a jury trial if necessary but we will be by your side every step of the way if it does proceed to trial.
3. Who determines who is at fault after an auto accident?
Fault is one of the most critical elements to any auto accident claim. The at-fault party is the driver whose negligence caused the accident. That person is financially liable for the damage caused by his or her negligence. Determining auto accident liability is not easy, and often requires the assistance of an experienced lawyer.
4. I feel sorry for the person who hit me if I hire an attorney, will their insurance rates go up?
It is up to the insurance company of the person who hit you, usually the insurance rates will be raised on that person whether you hire an attorney or not.
5. The insurance adjuster seemed really nice and told me that their insurance company would take care of my medical bills do I really need to hire an attorney?
Yes you need to hire an attorney immediately. Insurance company’s train their employees to reassure those who are hurt in an accident, BEWARE, their goal is to pay as little as possible for your claim and they can get away with it if you don’t have a qualified attorney to protect your interests. Recently I had a case where my client was in an accident and the person who hit him had the same insurance company. On the scene of the accident my client called the insurance company and the adjuster told them not to call the police and make a report and that the insurance company would take care of them. My office submitted a demand package and that same insurance company is refusing to pay for my client’s medical bills because they claim the accident was not severe enough to call the police. We are now filing suit for this insurance companies bad faith.
6. I just had a wreck what do I do?
Call attorney Scott Pryor at 770 560 3101 to protect your interests immediately.
7. The insurance adjuster is asking me to make a statement should I get an attorney before I do this?
Absolutely! You need to get an attorney immediately it is normal for injuries to take several days and even weeks to surface, insurance companies know this and like to settle the claim or get a recorded statement from you before all this comes to light. At our law offices we don’t want our clients to exaggerate their injuries but we do want to be sure that our clients have properly been taken care of prior to settling their claim.
8. I gave the insurance company a recorded statement is it too late to hire an attorney?
No it’s not too late but you want to get an attorney as soon as possible so that they can communicate with the insurance company on your behalf.
9. I have no transportation because of the accident and I want to hire your firm what do I do?
No worries we have several options, first, we can take care of everything over the phone, email, and/or fax. Second, we can come to you.
10. I hired an attorney for my case but I can’t reach them or I am not satisfied with their representation what can I do?
Many people find themselves in this situation, you can hire another attorney, usually you send a certified letter to the attorney’s office. Once you hire another attorney the new attorney can request your case file. Usually this is noted in the agreement that you signed with the original attorney’s office.
11. I was a passenger in a car and we got in an accident and it was the person’s fault who was driving the car that I was riding in, do I have a case?
Yes, you can make a claim against the insurance company of the person who was driving the car that you were riding in if it was their fault. My law office represents many clients in these situations.
12. What is the difference between your law office and those attorney’s I see all over the billboards and television?
Generally speaking, large law offices handle thousands of cases a year, I call this a volume practice. Many people who hire these firms see an attorney only once or twice, if at all, or only talk to a receptionist or secretary in most cases. At my law office our focus is spent on the case and the client, we want to exceed expectations so you will be happy and refer your friends, coworkers, and loved ones to us so that we can serve them as well. You will speak to an attorney directly and be kept informed on what is currently happening in your case. In addition, many large law firms don’t want to represent clients in smaller cases or may drop the client if the case doesn’t pay out quickly. My firm specializes in the small cases as well as the large cases. I have found many times that by paying very close attention to each detail in the case you can maximize the potential of that case. I recently had a case that several law offices turned down, I was able to take the case and help an elderly woman receive a $50,000.00 settlement.
13. What is policy limits on a case?
Policy limits is how much insurance the person responsible for the accident has taken out in case of an accident. For instance John Doe has the minimum amount of insurance for a wreck that is a $25,000.00 policy. If John Doe hits you and you are injured the maximum that insurance company will pay out on that claim is $25,000.00. Note in trucking accident cases normally the trucking companies carry multimillion dollar policy limits because trucking accidents usually result in fatalities.
14. How do I protect myself against uninsured or underinsured drivers?
It is essential to take out uninsured motorist vehicle insurance (your policy will pay out in case the person who caused the accident didn’t have insurance) or underinsured insurance (your policy will pay out in case the damages exceed the policy of the person who hit you). I recommend taking out a million dollars worth of coverage for each of these. For example, I recently had a friend who was hit head on because the other driver had a seizure and caused the accident. My friend almost died and had medical bills over one hundred thousand dollars and was out of work for over a year. Unfortunately the driver who hit him had only $25,000.00 worth of insurance and my friend did not have underinsured motorist insurance. My friend is now paying the bills left over after the insurance company paid out the $25,000.00 from this policy.
15. I got in an accident and the other driver does not have insurance what do I do?
Check your own insurance policy to see if you have uninsured motorist vehicle insurance. If you are not sure call your insurance company. You will still need to hire an attorney to negotiate with your insurance company on that case, the rules still apply even though it is your own insurance company.
16. If I try and negotiate with the insurance company myself won’t I get more money with out an attorney?
No, it’s like needing open-heart surgery and trying to save money by doing it yourself, yes you won’t have to pay a surgeon but you probably won’t survive. I have heard many Judges make this same analogy when people try to represent themselves in Court. You simply don’t know the law and you are an easy target for the insurance companies to compromise your claim for the bare minimum. Attorney’s can negotiate a higher amount for you and your case far surpassing the portion you pay in attorney fees. Keep in mind in accident cases if the attorney doesn’t win he/she doesn’t get paid and he/she is out time and expenses.