Legal Question in Personal Injury in Florida
personal injury
My grandson got ran over in October by a neighbor and has been in halo traction and has multiple bills piling up. My daughters PIP was only $10,000 and was exhausted the first hospital stay. The insurance company is telling her to settle and they will giove her a set amount of money now. He told her that if she hired an attorney she would only get the same amount and then have to pay the attorney out of that. Long story short she is getting worried that the $50,000 he said was all there was, won't cover all the hospital bills. Should she look into hiring an attorney because there might be more money? Is there anything that covers future medical bills? Please we need some advise what to do, I don't want to her lose her house over an accident. Thank you for any advice you can give. JoAnn
10 Answers from Attorneys
Re: personal injury
Remember, the insurance company wants you to sign a Release for the 50,000.00. The at fault party may have assets or perhaps may of been working for an employer at the time of the accident exposing additinal liability. In addition there may be Uninsured Motorist insurance that needs to be considered. Who was your daughter living with at the time of the accident etc.
Usually an issue that comes up is if you can recieve the 50,000.00 w/o having to sign a release.
Feel free to email me
Re: personal injury
At least get an attorney to review the policy and confirm the amount of coverage. Also, if the defendant has attachable assets you can pursue them beyond the policy. It sounds like a very severe injury and I would not sign anything until a full investigation is done to see what recoveries are available. Don't trust the insurance company to tell you the truth!
Re: personal injury
Dear Joann:
I agree with what others have said.
You must protect your grandson by having an attorney review this case.
Please visit our website at www.aronberglaw.com and/or call me if you'd like to talk about this more.
It sounds like your grandson has gone through hell to this point. Don't allow the insurance company to hurt him again by making a decision without legal counsel.
Regardless of what you decide to do, I wish you and your grandson the best of luck.
Lenny
Re: personal injury
Call our firm immediately to discuss this matter.
thank you and look forward to your call
Re: personal injury
I suggest you do not take what the insurance offers you without consulting an attorney who can review the facts of your situation.
Re: personal injury
I can assist you on this.
Re: personal injury
You will make a huge mistake in not consulting with an attorney. If they have offered you a fair amount, then many attorneys (I am one) would never charge you a 1/3 fee, which would be clearly unfair.
Indeed, insurance companies manage to make a lot of money by telling people not to seek legal counsel. They say that because the statistics are clear that when an attorney is involved almost always the injured person recovers more than the insurance company would otherwise voluntarily pay.
In fact, since your son is a minor, you will need court approval to settle any claim of any significance and the court will appoint a guardian ad litem.
Do not make the mistake of failing to speak with counsel. Speak with a number of them. Get lots of advice. It is an important decision.
Re: personal injury
You should definitely talk to an attorney before making any decisions. Most attorneys who practice accident law only work on a contingency and have free consultations. Any attorney who takes this case on should expressly agree not to touch the $50,000 and only get paid on the excess.
Let me know if you have any questions - (305)3759599 (www.victimaid.com)
Re: personal injury
I hope your grandson gets better soon. The offer may be fair if there is absolutely no other insurance or assets that are available. What are the neighbors true insurance limits? Are there other policies that come into play? Was the neighbor doing errands for another or on the clock working when the accident occurred? The only way to really know is to let an attorney review the case. My affilaite office is in Hollywood and we would be happy to take a look.
Good luck.
Ricky Bagolie
Re: personal injury
As others have noted, you really need to consult with a lawyer who specializes in injury cases. There may be other insurance policies or sources of payment. You may waive your right to go after other policies if you accept the initial settlement check without first obtaining the permission of other insurance companies.
We would be happy to consult with you about this claim at no charge to you. You have no obligation to use our firm to handle your case. Our number is 5618640007.