Accident question/advice

[claimsadj]

Do people really think that insurance companies will try and get by with just paying medical bills on an injured 3P? Maybe some companies try and pull the wool over on people, but i have way too many claims to work. Screwing people takes too long, its easier for me to offer them a fair amount and be done with it. And also, i will repeat. No adjuster cares if you have an atty or not, their offer will be pretty much the same. There is wiggle room with every claim, and the amount of wiggle room doesn't change with an atty involved.

[claimsadj]

Could an atty not say I will simply be wasting your time? There is nothing for you to gain by hiring me to get you what you would have gotten anyway? Most attorneys dont handle the claim, an intern does. I call attorneys constantly and it goes one or two ways for the most part. 1)Let me transfer you to the assistant handling that case or 2)I don't even recognize that name, I'll have to get back with you.

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.

[Hambone]

Could an atty not say I will simply be wasting your time? There is nothing for you to gain by hiring me to get you what you would have gotten anyway?

Of course an attorney could and should tell a client just that. But that is only assuming that the insurance company is dealing fairly. I am sure that you are an honest and ethical adjuster, but there are some that will go to great pains to get a claimant to accept an offer that is nowhere near the value of the claim.

[ScottyLee]

hear the adjuster out, see what they are willing to do for you then if your not satisfied, don't sign anything, see what options you have with renegotiating, then if your still not satisfied get a lawyer. Obviously your vehicle is going to get fixed by his liability coverage in the policy and they will pay for med bills subject to limits, plus medical payments off of your policy if you have that coverage. (it's a supplemental payment, meaning that it won't cause your insurance to go up. Also, If there still isn't enough coverage under his policy to cover the bills, then UNM liability/property damage will kick in off of your policy to cover the difference( minus a deductible that was agreed upon when you took out the policy; this is like 200-250.

There is a bunch of money there already to cover for all of this. and sometimes the adjuster will give you some money for pain in suffering as i know of a situation where we dealt with that in OCT 09.

Bottom line if you take this to court then your prolly gonna get burned a lot worse than if you try and settle with the insurance company. See it happen quite often. Remember insurance is to Indemnify (make you whole) not make you a millionaire. Will be glad to offer you any advice you wanna hear, and it's worth everything you paying for it.

Hope your ok, and you are able to return to full health.

[Long Duck Dong]

Do people really think that insurance companies will try and get by with just paying medical bills on an injured 3P? Maybe some companies try and pull the wool over on people, but i have way too many claims to work. Screwing people takes too long, its easier for me to offer them a fair amount and be done with it. And also, i will repeat. No adjuster cares if you have an atty or not, their offer will be pretty much the same. There is wiggle room with every claim, and the amount of wiggle room doesn't change with an atty involved.

Don't buy this for a second. claimsadj must work for a really good insurance company because what he is saying does not apply to the other 95% of insurance companies. I handle dozens of car accident cases each year and every insurance company is different, but the vast majority of them will absolutely lowball the s**t out of you if you let them. You don't know how often I have people come into my office with an offer from an adjuster that is literally $100-$200 over what their medical bills are. It is not uncommon to get most insurance companies to cough up 2 to 3 times as much as they have previously offered someone who was previously unrepresented. They just don't figure pain and suffering into the equation. It would really help if you would just tell us who the insurance company is.

[gps4]

Do people really think that insurance companies will try and get by with just paying medical bills on an injured 3P? Maybe some companies try and pull the wool over on people, but i have way too many claims to work. Screwing people takes too long, its easier for me to offer them a fair amount and be done with it. And also, i will repeat. No adjuster cares if you have an atty or not, their offer will be pretty much the same. There is wiggle room with every claim, and the amount of wiggle room doesn't change with an atty involved.

would you mind explaining to the general public exactly how your company decides what is a fair amount to pay an injured person for the pain and suffering he experienced as a result of your insured's negligence?

[randywallace]

Do people really think that insurance companies will try and get by with just paying medical bills on an injured 3P? Maybe some companies try and pull the wool over on people, but i have way too many claims to work. Screwing people takes too long, its easier for me to offer them a fair amount and be done with it. And also, i will repeat. No adjuster cares if you have an atty or not, their offer will be pretty much the same. There is wiggle room with every claim, and the amount of wiggle room doesn't change with an atty involved.

Don't buy this for a second. claimsadj must work for a really good insurance company because what he is saying does not apply to the other 95% of insurance companies. I handle dozens of car accident cases each year and every insurance company is different, but the vast majority of them will absolutely lowball the s**t out of you if you let them. You don't know how often I have people come into my office with an offer from an adjuster that is literally $100-$200 over what their medical bills are. It is not uncommon to get most insurance companies to cough up 2 to 3 times as much as they have previously offered someone who was previously unrepresented. They just don't figure pain and suffering into the equation. It would really help if you would just tell us who the insurance company is.

Same thing I see.

Funny that claimsadj says no adjuster cares if you have any attorney. Allstate does. Take a look at Injury Evaluation Form / 1098-07. Page 4 has a section 12 titled "Negotiation Position Assessment Worksheet." Guess what the second item listed is? Pltf. attorney's reputation. The 6th item is venue. They dang well care if you have an attorney and they care about where they are going to get sued. You can bank on that.

[Long Duck Dong]

[/quote] Same thing I see.

Funny that claimsadj says no adjuster cares if you have any attorney. Allstate does. Take a look at Injury Evaluation Form / 1098-07. Page 4 has a section 12 titled "Negotiation Position Assessment Worksheet." Guess what the second item listed is? Pltf. attorney's reputation. The 6th item is venue. They dang well care if you have an attorney and they care about where they are going to get sued. You can bank on that.[/quote]

They definitely care about venue. Most of them know better than to take their chances in the Delta.

[claimsadj]

Its all relative but venue plays a huge roll. Even in a conservative venue somewhere near dollar for dollar is fair. If you have nothing but diagnostics like xrays those don't hold much weight ans same for chiro bills. A real injury requiring treatment is a different story. Most of the bigger companies are much tighter when it comes to injury claims. Guess that's how insurance companies get get s bad wrap. [q
uote="Long Duck Dong"]

Do people really think that insurance companies will try and get by with just paying medical bills on an injured 3P? Maybe some companies try and pull the wool over on people, but i have way too many claims to work. Screwing people takes too long, its easier for me to offer them a fair amount and be done with it. And also, i will repeat. No adjuster cares if you have an atty or not, their offer will be pretty much the same. There is wiggle room with every claim, and the amount of wiggle room doesn't change with an atty involved.

Don't buy this for a second. claimsadj must work for a really good insurance company because what he is saying does not apply to the other 95% of insurance companies. I handle dozens of car accident cases each year and every insurance company is different, but the vast majority of them will absolutely lowball the s**t out of you if you let them. You don't know how often I have people come into my office with an offer from an adjuster that is literally $100-$200 over what their medical bills are. It is not uncommon to get most insurance companies to cough up 2 to 3 times as much as they have previously offered someone who was previously unrepresented. They just don't figure pain and suffering into the equation. It would really help if you would just tell us who the insurance company is.[/quote]

[claimsadj]

Making a fair offer out of the gate makes all of that irrelevant.

Same thing I see.

Funny that claimsadj says no adjuster cares if you have any attorney. Allstate does. Take a look at Injury Evaluation Form / 1098-07. Page 4 has a section 12 titled "Negotiation Position Assessment Worksheet." Guess what the second item listed is? Pltf. attorney's reputation. The 6th item is venue. They dang well care if you have an attorney and they care about where they are going to get sued. You can bank on that.[/quote]

They definitely care about venue. Most of them know better than to take their chances in the Delta.[/quote]

[gps4]

[quote="claimsadj"]Its all relative but venue plays a huge roll. Even in a conservative venue somewhere near dollar for dollar is fair. If you have nothing but diagnostics like xrays those don't hold much weight ans same for chiro bills. A real injury requiring treatment is a different story. Most of the bigger companies are much tighter when it comes to injury claims. Guess that's how insurance companies get get s bad wrap.

Dollar for dollar...does that mean if I have a sprained ankle or knee but no broken bones and have 2500 in e/r bills and. follow up with family doc, 650 in ambulance bills, 1500 in physical therapy your company will offer somewhere in the neighborhood of 4650 to settle my claim or does it mean 9300 with my pain and suffering.

[quack_a_tack]

My god what is all this pain and suffering crap, take what payes off your med bills and carry on. Ya take a chance of getting into an accident everytime you get in a car/on a motorcycle. Hell I experience pain and suffering everytime some dip $#!+ sues the insurance co. and my bill goes up $10 bucks to cover there pain and suffering.

[Beaudog1]

My god what is all this pain and suffering crap, take what payes off your med bills and carry on. Ya take a chance of getting into an accident everytime you get in a car/on a motorcycle. Hell I experience pain and suffering everytime some dip *!@#@* sues the insurance co. and my bill goes up $10 bucks to cover there pain and suffering.

Amen.

[claimsadj]

Your bills would be paid and you would have money left over for one hell of a duck club.

Its all relative but venue plays a huge roll. Even in a conservative venue somewhere near dollar for dollar is fair. If you have nothing but diagnostics like xrays those don't hold much weight ans same for chiro bills. A real injury requiring treatment is a different story. Most of the bigger companies are much tighter when it comes to injury claims. Guess that's how insurance companies get get s bad wrap.

Dollar for dollar...does that mean if I have a sprained ankle or knee but no broken bones and have 2500 in e/r bills and. follow up with family doc, 650 in ambulance bills, 1500 in physical therapy your company will offer somewhere in the neighborhood of 4650 to settle my claim or does it mean 9300 with my pain and suffering.

[gps4]

My god what is all this pain and suffering crap, take what payes off your med bills and carry on. Ya take a chance of getting into an accident everytime you get in a car/on a motorcycle. Hell I experience pain and suffering everytime some dip *!@#@* sues the insurance co. and my bill goes up $10 bucks to cover there pain and suffering.

supposing your kid was out riding his bike and i'm talking on my cell phone and not paying attention, i run the stop sign in the neighborhood and run him over. his leg is broken in three places and no matter how good his doctor is, jr. will be in a wheel chair for the rest fo his life. he will never be able to play baseball or football, or tennis, or golf, or waterski, or dance with his wife at his wedding, or play in the back yard with your grandchildren.

I've got 2 million in the bank and 1,000 acres of prime real estate and the doctor bill is only $30,000 but junior spends the rest of his life in a wheelchair. what should i have to pay your kid?

perhaps i can safely assume that by responding to this thread, you are an avid sportsman and enjoy most things outdoors. suppose you and your wife/lady friend are out on the town,and im not paying attention and cross the yellow line. we have a head on collision. I walk away with a few scrathces. you are paralyzed from the waist down. and your shoulders are torn up so bad and the nerves are damaged such that you can no longer draw a bow or shoot a rifle. you cant play in the back yard with your kids or grand kids. you cant coach little league. you cant enjoy relations with your wife, who by the way, now has severe scarring about her face, neck and shoulders because she was cut by the windshield. she will also walk with a noticeable limp for the rest of her life. I've got 2 million in the bank and 1,000 acres of prime real estate and the doctor bill the total medical bills are $100,000. what should i have to pay you for my negligence?