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Personal Injury

 

What Types of Personal Injury Cases Does Your Firm Typically Handle?

 

Our firm handles virtually all cases involving injuries to people. Perhaps a better way to look at this question is to describe the types of cases we won’t handle. Those are civil rights and employment law matters.

 

Why did You Choose to Practice Personal Injury Law?

 

I chose to practice personal injury law for two reasons. First, I enjoy the medical issues involved in our cases. Second, I believe the right to trial by a jury is one of the last meaningful civil rights we have in this country. A jury trial allows a person with little or no money to seek justice regardless of the size or economic power of the defendant.

 

What are the Top Misconceptions People Have about Working with a Personal Injury Attorney?

 

Among the top misconceptions people have about working with a personal injury attorney include having a poor impression of attorneys generally because of the night time TV ads by certain law firms. Frankly, that kind of advertising is offensive to me as well. Some people believe attorneys don’t really care about them. In my experience, based upon practicing law for over 35 years, the vast majority of attorneys care deeply about their clients and their circumstances. Some people assume that attorneys automatically file lawsuits. That is intimidating because most people don’t want to go to trial. In actual fact, filing a lawsuit is usually a last resort. People are sometimes reluctant to make a claim because they don’t want to financially hurt the other party. In actual fact, a typical case is made against the at- fault person’s insurance company only. It is defended and settled with insurance company adjusters and lawyers.

 

A lot of people don’t understand why the process takes so long. They don’t understand that very little happens while the injured person is getting medical treatment. That is because bodily injury damages can’t fully be evaluated until the person’s medical condition becomes fixed and stable. In other words, until such time as an injured person is at or near full recovery.

 

Some people don’t understand the nature of contingent fee legal representation. They may feel that the attorney is charging too large a fee for the amount of work done. What they never see is the actual amount of work that goes into that legal representation because they never get an hourly bill. Also, they never get a bill for the litigation costs spent and paid in advance by the law firm. Once properly explained, most people come to realize the contingent fee is the key to their courthouse.

 

Some people believe that they can handle the case themselves. In my experience, they will always end up in a worse position than if they had hired experienced counsel to guide them. The reason is that adjusters are trained to prey on people’s fears and their lack of knowledge of their legal rights or fair claim value.

 

 

What are the Top Misconceptions People Have about the Personal Injury Recovery Process?

 

 

Some people don’t understand that it isn’t enough to simply be injured. Their injuries must be proved. Legal causation must be proved. Damages must be proved. Income loss must be proved. All this must be done in the face of defense resistance at every turn. Nothing is ever easy. If it was easy, then you wouldn’t need a skilled attorney to help you. Others think the settlement or judgment comes out of the pocket of the at-fault party. In actual fact, that rarely happens. Most experienced attorneys won’t take on a case in which there is no way to collect on a judgment. Payment on judgments typically involves liability insurance policies.

 

 

Is Filing a Personal Injury Claim a Relatively Easy or a Complex Process?

 

 

Assuming you have an experienced attorney to represent you, the filing of a claim is a relatively easy process.

That being said, you must always expect a fight with the defense insurance company. You may ask why? There are several reasons. First, to an adjuster, you are just one more file on a desk, not a real person. The insurance company only cares about hanging on to your money as long as it can. Fair treatment simply does not enter into the company’s equation. Secondly, most companies have incentive plans for their adjusters. That means their salary increases and promotions are tied to the amount of money the adjuster can save the company by persuading a claimant to settle his or her claim too cheaply or to abandon the claim altogether. Third, the companies know they can wear you down by stalling and disputing every aspect of your claim, especially if you are in a desperate financial situation. Fourth, most adjusters are simply overworked and don’t have time to care about you or your particular circumstances.

 

 

For more information on Personal Injury Cases in Washington, a free initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking by calling (425) 451-8333 today.

 

General Information:

 

Call us today at (425) 451-8333 to speak with our Bellevue, WA personal injury attorney. Our Washington accident and injury attorney will provide a Free Case Evaluation. 

 

© 2018 by William J. Carlson, Inc., P.S. All rights reserved.

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