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Why would you get a lawyer if you don't even know what the adjuster is going to offer? You will be paying someone 1/3 of the money that is owed to you, and he will do no work to earn it. Adjusters don't make offers any differently if there is an atty involved or not, plain and simple. It would help if you said what company was at fault. Keep up with your bills and submit them to the adjuster, he will make an offer based on your injuries. You people who rush out and get an atty are pissing away money. The adjuster would probably prefer you hire an atty though, much less work for him.

+1 Sound like a bunch of sreggin round here. Call Scwartz, I'm gone get mines.
Did not see where he mentioned they aren't working with him. As mentioned doesn't matter if some monkey suited jack wagon is representing you or not to get the settlement offer. You need to feel like it is adequate an as I mentioned in pm at anytime you feel it is not fair let them know you will get an attorney. When I was handling claims I would rather help someone out but if they went out hired lawyer off the bat, then I tried to stick it to them. Of we were talking serious life altering injury or they were not responding to you, then yeah its time to get a lawyer. More than likely on a small claim you will be waisting YOUR money.

claimsadj wrote:Why would you get a lawyer if you don't even know what the adjuster is going to offer? You will be paying someone 1/3 of the money that is owed to you, and he will do no work to earn it. Adjusters don't make offers any differently if there is an atty involved or not, plain and simple. It would help if you said what company was at fault. Keep up with your bills and submit them to the adjuster, he will make an offer based on your injuries. You people who rush out and get an atty are pissing away money. The adjuster would probably prefer you hire an atty though, much less work for him.

You might want to get a lawyer to help you make sure the insurance company is acting in good faith and treating you fairly. But, as stated above, on a small claim, it's fine to go at it on your own, at least in the beginning.

Beaudog1 wrote:The only reason to "lawyer up" is IF his insurance company doesn't adequately compensate you for medical bills and repairs. As a law student I'm glad to see everyone's so sue happy, but damn it makes society look bad. (And maybe it's just my experience and mine alone, but out of the 3 accidents I've been involved in, both with and without fault, I have never needed an attorney and neither has the other party).

Congratulations. You've been lucky 3 times. In this economy, nobody wants to pay unless they absolutely have to. Meanwhile, expenses keep rolling along. I hate to sound cynical, but you have to take care of yourself. The insurance company is not going to take care of you. It is in their best interest to cover their own @$$, not yours.

Im in the insurance field. What insurance company is it? That can tell you a lot about what you need to do next. If its Direct General or any of their sub companies, you have a problem. Most of the big names will screw you if you dont know what you are doing. The biggest thing way to get messed over is to settle too quickly. If you dont feel comfortable putting it in public, PM me what insurance co you are dealing with. I have been an adjuster for 12 years. BI claims take time. I know a month seems like a long time, but the adjuster cant evaluate the injury until all of your medical bills and records are recieved. This takes time. I am evaluating a BI claim right now from 9 months ago. Only because it took that long to get medical records in.

PM me if you like. Ill be happy to give you some friendly advice.

britlab wrote:PM me if you like. Ill be happy to give you some friendly advice.

+1

Contact Britlab and he will help you out...

The reasons to get a lawyer go beyond just filing suit. You have to protect your interest now and into the future. I imagine you will be getting a settlement offer from them in the very near future with a release attached to it barring you from any further pursuit. Never mind that you may have injuries like a spinal injury that could affect your ability to earn a living from now on. There are all sorts of things to consider beyond just the here and now medical bills. You owe it to your family to protect your interests and the only way to do that properly is with an attorney who knows what they are doing.

As has been said many times on this website, everybody loves to knock the lawyers until they need one.

"Sound like a bunch of sreggin round here. Call Scwartz, I'm gone get mines"

Exactly . . . Couldn't agree more.

claimsadj wrote:There is no reason to go through your own company, but they will pay your med pay on your policy if you want them to. It just tends to complicate things. The adjuster isin't going to offer you anything until you are completely finished treating, at that time he makes an offer. When you have agreed on a price, you sign liability releases and get paid. Simple as that. It's a sit and wait game.

Yeah my bike insurance isn't even involved at all. Other guys ins. immediately accepted liability and told me to go ahead and get whatever i needed done. My medical claims are being pd by my health insurer and they are then subrogating against other guys ins. Yeah I have been told that I shouldn't expect a settlement until all treatments are over.

Attorneys are good for negotiating hospital liens, not negotiating with adjusters. The injuries are worth the same amount regardless. I work for a company that doesn't try and screw people so it aggravates me when people hire attorneys thinking they are getting more money. Atty equals less money in your pocket when dealing with me.

Seymore wrote:The reasons to get a lawyer go beyond just filing suit. You have to protect your interest now and into the future. I imagine you will be getting a settlement offer from them in the very near future with a release attached to it barring you from any further pursuit. Never mind that you may have injuries like a spinal injury that could affect your ability to earn a living from now on. There are all sorts of things to consider beyond just the here and now medical bills. You owe it to your family to protect your interests and the only way to do that properly is with an attorney who knows what they are doing.

As has been said many times on this website, everybody loves to knock the lawyers until they need one.

claimsadj wrote:Attorneys are good for negotiating hospital liens, not negotiating with adjusters. The injuries are worth the same amount regardless. I work for a company that doesn't try and screw people so it aggravates me when people hire attorneys thinking they are getting more money. Atty equals less money in your pocket when dealing with me.

Seymore wrote:The reasons to get a lawyer go beyond just filing suit. You have to protect your interest now and into the future. I imagine you will be getting a settlement offer from them in the very near future with a release attached to it barring you from any further pursuit. Never mind that you may have injuries like a spinal injury that could affect your ability to earn a living from now on. There are all sorts of things to consider beyond just the here and now medical bills. You owe it to your family to protect your interests and the only way to do that properly is with an attorney who knows what they are doing.

As has been said many times on this website, everybody loves to knock the lawyers until they need one.

As an adjuster why should you give a rip whether an attorney is hired or not. Taking your statements the end result would be the injured getting less because the attorney will be paid. Your company will not be out any more money following your train of thought. If a lay person feels comfortable signing a release, that I'm sure your companies attorney drafted, then go for it. Personally, I will have it reviewed by an attorney to make absolutely sure of what I'm signing. If that makes me a reggin then pass the chicken and watermelon.

Having an attorney review an offer made from the insurance company is a far cry from hiring a Richard Schwartz-esque character to attack an insurance company, who is probably acting in good faith, and try to force them to give up an undeserved and astronomical settlement.

If you have a 5th grade education you can interpret a release. Once we pay you and you sign, were off the hook and so is our insured. Simple as that, and it won't be any different if an attorney gets involved. Attorneys make it easier for the adjusters, heck most attys and adjusters are buddies. Preconceived notions about insurance companies cost the average person money. I would rather pay the 3rd party the money their owed than let an atty get their hand in the cookie jar. Many times the party that is taking advantage is not the big bad insurance company.

claimsadj wrote:If you have a 5th grade education you can interpret a release. Once we pay you and you sign, were off the hook and so is our insured. Simple as that, and it won't be any different if an attorney gets involved. Attorneys make it easier for the adjusters, heck most attys and adjusters are buddies. Preconceived notions about insurance companies cost the average person money. I would rather pay the 3rd party the money their owed than let an atty get their hand in the cookie jar. Many times the party that is taking advantage is not the big bad insurance company.

If a party hires an attorney, for whatever reason, then that attorney is in now way taking advantage of anyone. He was hired and he's doing his job. Not saying people should hire attorneys for every car wreck their in, but it's an idiotic generalization to say that all attorneys are taking advantage of people when their client sought them out and hired them.

Beaudog1 wrote:

claimsadj wrote:If you have a 5th grade education you can interpret a release. Once we pay you and you sign, were off the hook and so is our insured. Simple as that, and it won't be any different if an attorney gets involved. Attorneys make it easier for the adjusters, heck most attys and adjusters are buddies. Preconceived notions about insurance companies cost the average person money. I would rather pay the 3rd party the money their owed than let an atty get their hand in the cookie jar. Many times the party that is taking advantage is not the big bad insurance company.

If a party hires an attorney, for whatever reason, then that attorney is in now way taking advantage of anyone. He was hired and he's doing his job. Not saying people should hire attorneys for every car wreck their in, but it's an idiotic generalization to say that all attorneys are taking advantage of people when their client sought them out and hired them.

And on the same note, it is an idiotic generalization that everyone should "lawyer up" and hire an attorney because the insurance agency is fixing to pour the screws to you.

Beaudog1 wrote:Having an attorney review an offer made from the insurance company is a far cry from hiring a Richard Schwartz-esque character to attack an insurance company, who is probably acting in good faith, and try to force them to give up an undeserved and astronomical settlement.

you sound like a law student. good faith, undeserved, etc.

what do you want to get out of this? If you just want your medical bills paid, you don't need a lawyer as it appears they are getting paid. If you want pain and suffering, good luck trying to get an insurance company to give you anything remotely close to what you are probabably looking for without having an attorney sending a nasty letter. To the insurer, it sets a bad "precedent" (that's a good lawyer word). But then you will have to pay an attorney so it will cost money to do that.

So I ask again, what do you want to get out of this?