As tempting as it might be to pursue a personal injury claim by yourself, it’s not the best way to go about the process. You might run into severe headwinds that could thwart your best efforts.
Close to 3 million people have their lives turned upside down when they suffer injuries at their workplace. Gleaning from personal injury lawyers in New York, some victims suffer debilitating injuries that make them unable to make a living or leave them maimed for life.
Common issues include slip and fall incidences, medical malpractice, and an unsafe work environment, all of which stem from negligence. If you’re unfortunate enough to suffer an injury, it’s crucial that you retain a credible legal mind to help you pursue compensation.
Even the Playing Ground
When you lodge an injury claim, you’re in the fight for your life as you seek to restore normalcy. To the insurance company’s lawyers, it’s just another day at the office. Your file is just another claim looking to drain the golden pot they are charged with guarding.
To this end, they will engage mind games and manipulation to frustrate your efforts. They will thwart your efforts with the hope that you’re not tenacious enough to see the claim through. If you persist, these lawyers might indulge you with a settlement offer.
If you’re lucky, the proposal might be reasonable and adequate. If that’s the case, then go ahead accept it. You might want to check with a legal expert though to ensure that you’re not short-changed. If the offer is low or the insurer refuses to budge, then it’s time to retain a seasoned attorney. Doing so evens the playing field and might force the insurer to take your claim seriously.
Appeal the Denial of Coverage
A common tactic to help insurers weasel out of an injury claim entails a denial of coverage. The insurance will claim that the insured’s policy doesn’t cover that particular incident. In such a situation, you need a copy of the insurance policy to validate these claims. Should they turn out to be true, you shouldn’t despair and abandon your application altogether.
With the help of a skillful lawyer, you can refer the matter to the court for interpretation. The courts often have a different take when interpreting insurance policy provisions. In most cases, they will side with the injured victims and compel the insurer to pay you compensation. Without the help of an experienced legal mind, you wouldn’t make much headway in such a situation.
Go Beyond the Insurance Policy
Each insurance policy comes with a limit: the maximum amount of money the insurer will pay out in case of a claim. For instance, a company will not pay a dime more than $100,000 on a policy worth $100,000 even when the court awards you more. In such cases, you need to get the money from elsewhere.
Fortunately, a seasoned attorney will advise you accordingly to ensure that you get your settlement. The most common methods include using additional defendants, going after an umbrella insurance policy, or collecting from the defendant. The choice of recovery method depends on the options available to you.
Pursuing compensation from a party who caused you bodily harm can prove to be an arduous task, especially if you don’t have a brilliant legal mind to help you through the process. Hiring a seasoned attorney helps you to settle the claim.
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