Legal Question in Personal Injury in Maryland
Pedestrian hit
I was crossing with the green light and hit. I was taken to shock trauma and released the following morning. I received a complaint number by the police. I am not sure if the police got the names of any witnesses or what statement was given by the driver. I notified my health insurance company and called his car insurance company, Progressive. They want to meet me next week. I have 2 questions: 1) Was it a mistake to call his insurance company? 2) and am I required to meet with them?
Thanks
5 Answers from Attorneys
Re: Pedestrian hit
You should not meet with them without a lawyer.
Re: Pedestrian hit
You should acquire representation. They have a right to know about the accident and to inquire. It sounds like you have a good case and that now is the best time to contact an attorney. It likely was not a mistake to contact the other driver's insurance company. I am available to assist to settlement. Joe Holthaus (410) 799-9002
Re: Pedestrian hit
In a traffic accident, it is not a mistake to contact the other insurance company. However it is not advisable to meet with them or talk further with them without the advise of a lawyer. You don't want them to "trick" you into saying something that will defeat your claim. Most lawyers (like myself) will not charge a fee to meet with you in this type of case. If you employ a lawyer to represent you, most (again like myself) will only collect a fee if there is recovery from the other insurance company.
Re: Pedestrian hit
I would suggest you hire an attorney to represent you in a matter like this. Although it was not a mistake reporting the accident to the insurance company, I would suggest you not meet with them, and let your lawyer talk to them. You may well want to wait awhile before resolving this case in any event, to see what residual effects you have from the accident.
Re: Pedestrian hit
It was fine to contact the insurance carrier, but it is probably not a good idea to meet with them (and probably not a great idea to talk to them again) until you obtain legal counsel. I don't know what were your injuries, but if you we taken to shock trauma and kept overnight, you must have suffered quite a bit.
There is simply no reason to go this alone. The insurance adjusters are specifically trained to try to settle these cases without paying much money. Please contact a competant attorney as soon as possible and before you talk with the insurance company.
I would be happy to chat about setting up a consultation to evalutae your case. If you would like to do so, please call at the number below.