Accident Claims

YOUR ACCIDENT CLAIM
THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HELP YOUR CASE

Welcome to our office. This has been prepared for informational purposes to assist you in understanding what to expect with respect to the handling of your accident claim. Your cooperation directly affects the success of your claim.

1. We need you to notify us of your treatment, any testing, x-rays or referrals to a specialist that is ordered by your doctor. We would need the name and address of the doctor or hospital and dates of service or treatment. It is important for you to follow up on getting the medical treatment you need for your injuries. If you wait too long to see a doctor or have long gaps between visits, the insurance companies are likely to argue that your treatment is unrelated to your accident.

2. It is important that we have photostatic copies of everything - including disability slips issued by your doctor, return to work slips, estimates for the property damage, if applicable, prescription receipts, etc. It is important for you to ask your doctor for disability slips, if you are employed.

3. Photographs are very important when it comes time to evaluate your case for submission to the insurance company. We need photographs of the location of the accident, damage to your car, if applicable, any bruising or cuts/lacerations to you, torn or bloody clothing, any braces or collars you had to wear and any scarring that appears to be permanent.

4. Most health insurance companies will pay for the medical treatment related to an accident and at some point issue a lien which must be paid when your case is settled. If welfare is involved, they will issue a lien. Settlements are also attached for anyone owing child support and must be paid from the settlement. All liens and attachments must be paid prior to any settlement funds being released to you. Please bring us any correspondence you receive from your health insurance.

5. Doctors and hospitals charge fees for records and reports, sometimes even for copies of your bills. A doctor’s report can cost $300 or more and a one page office note $20.00 or more. These expenses have to be reimbursed by you, usually at the and of the case. In order to save on your expenses, we wait until you advise us that you are done treating so that we pay only once for the doctor’s final narrative report or the hospital records. It’s important that you keep us up to date on your medical treatment. Also if you receive medical bills at home, please bring them to us. Do not write on the original bills as we have to submit them to the insurance company.

6. We recommend that you keep a pain/activity diary to assist you and us in tracking how the accident affected you. If you missed family outing/activities/sporting events/yard work/hobbies or had to hire someone to mow the lawn, shovel snow, do housework, etc. due to the injuries you sustained, we need to know. If you had to use a brace or collar, how long you wore it. Plus if your case should go to lawsuit, it will assist in refreshing your memory of the accident’s effects on you and/or your family. We will furnish you a note pad for your convenience in making notes - be sure to put a date by each entry.

7. There is a legal deadline on your claim called a Statute of Limitations which is usually three years from the date of the accident. If your case has not settled by that date, a lawsuit must be filed to protect your rights. When you have reached an end result or have completed treatment, we gather all the final documentation including medical, wage, income taxes, etc. and prepare an evaluation package of our file for submission to the insurance company. This is the beginning of the settlement process. If they fail to respond or make a meaningful effort to negotiate settlement, then a lawsuit must be filed to protect your rights. We notify you when we feel it is necessary to file a lawsuit.

8. It is possible that the insurance company may require an Impartial Medical Examination (IME). They send you to a doctor of their choice for an examination. We do have a video tape in the office for you to watch and we meet with you before the appointment to help prepare you and answer any questions you may have. The insurance company may use the results of the exam to disallow some of your treatment, length of disability, etc. Then your bills would have to be submitted to health insurance or in some instances the medical provider will continue to provide treatment but will issue a lien against any eventual recovery.

As always, if you have any questions regarding this information or your claim, please let us know.

"It impressed me as to how honest and trustworthy you and your Dad are." -E.G.

"I am very grateful to you for your effort on my behalf." -L.T.