Legal Question in Personal Injury in Indiana
I was injured in Big Lots by a display set-up that they didnt have assembled and fastened properly. I went to the e-r the same day and my doctors office within 48 hours after the incident. I filed a claim with their "legal" dept and have been as patient as possible while they basically do nothing about my claim. When I filed my claim I thought I sent in everything they asked for, but only when I called in was I advised that they need more records. The problem is that the hospital and the doctor charge between 20 and 50 dollars and I don't want to pay for that when Big Lots isnt giving me the assurance that they're going to take care of me. The lady I'm dealing with is very rude and short with me. Do I have the right to ask that my case be assigned to someone else? I don't have the money to pay upfront for a lawyer, but I do want my medical bills paid. It wasn't a serious injury but I do feel that they're liable for what happened. Any advice??
2 Answers from Attorneys
Big Lots doesn't have to give you the assurance that they will pay anything. You have to pay your own bills for necessary medical treatment; the company will assume that no medical treatment is needed if you will only seek it if they pay. If you can not obtain relief, most attorneys will give you a free consultation for this kind of situation.
You would best be advised to consult with a personal injury attorney because it does not appear that you are going to get anywhere by yourself. You may go through a lot of effort and expense and end up with no commitment from Big Lots. Personal injury cases are usually handled on a contingency fee basis, which means that you wouldn't have to pay anything up front.