CRASHBOOK

CAR ACCIDENT CRASH BOOKSEVEN CRUCIAL QUESTIONS

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— MICHE A.

I WAS IN MY FIRST ACCIDENT EVER LAST YEAR AND I HAD NO IDEA WHAT TO DO OR HOW TO DEAL WITH THE INSURANCE OR MEDICAL BILLS. THE STAFF HERE ARE SUPER HELPFUL AND ALSO VERY FRIENDLY, I DON’T KNOW WHAT I WOULD HAVE DONE WITHOUT THEM. THEY ARE ALWAYS THERE FOR YOU IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS. THEY’RE ON TOP OF EVERYTHING AND GET THINGS DONE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I WILL MAKE SURE TO RECOMMEND THEM TO ANYONE I CAN!

P R A I S E S F O R

— ALMA R.

WHEN I SEARCHED FOR AN ATTORNEY TO HELP MY PARENTS WITH THEIR CAR ACCIDENT CASE IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT FOR ME THAT THEY WOULD UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING IN SPANISH. I WAS VERY PLEASED THAT RITCHIE REIERSEN PROVIDED SPANISH SERVICES. THEY ARE DOING AN EXCEPTIONAL JOB WORKING WITH OUR CASE. THANK YOU MICHELE FROM THE LAKEWOOD OFFICE YOU HAVE BEEN VERY HELPFUL.

— DEDI

GREAT EXPERIENCE WITH EVEN BETTER RESULTS. THEY DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB GETTING THE MOST MONEY AVAILABLE FOR MY FUTURE. I COULDN’T BE HAPPIER AND HAVE ALREADY REFERRED PEOPLE. IF YOU EVER FIND YOURSELF IN THAT UNFORTUNATE SITUATION PUT YOUR TRUST IN RITCHIE LAW. THEY WILL WORK THEIR BUTTS OFF FOR YOU TOO!

— CRAIG H.

(THE TEAM) DID A GREAT JOB HANDLING MY CASE. I NEVER FELT LIKE I WAS OUT OF THE LOOP ON WHAT WAS GOING ON, NOR DID I EVER FEEL LIKE I WAS BEING LEAD IN A DIRECTION THAT I DIDN’T WISH TO PURSUE. THEY TOOK ON THE BURDEN OF DEALING WITH NOT ONLY THE INSURANCE COMPANIES BUT THE DOCTORS AND MEDICAL COMPANIES AS WELL. MY MAIN CONCERN WAS TO HEAL AND RECOVER FROM THE ACCIDENT AND THEY MADE SURE I WAS ABLE TO. HOPEFULLY I WON’T NEED AN ATTORNEY AGAIN BUT IF I DO, THEN I WILL MOST DEFINITELY BE COMING BACK.

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— MARIA C.

DENISE AND TYLER IN THE LITIGATION DEPARTMENT GOT MY CASE WHEN THE CAR INSURANCE COMPANY REFUSED TO PAY ALL MY BILLS AND FOR SURGERY. THEY GOT ME A GREAT SETTLEMENT!

— DANA M.

BRANDON RITCHIE AND HIS TEAM ARE DEDICATED TO PROVIDING YOUEXCEPTIONAL SERVICE. THEY KNOW THAT YOU HAVE BEEN THROUGH AN ORDEAL ALREADY AND WANT TO MAKE THE PROCESS AS EASY AS POSSIBLE. IF YOU, OR SOMEONE THAT YOU KNOW HAS BEEN INJURED AND ARE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE THAT IS IN YOUR CORNER - GIVE BRANDON A CALL.

— FELIPA B.

I HAD A GOOD EXPERIENCE WITH RITCHIE REIERSEN. THEY WORKED HARD AND FAST FOR ME. I WAS HAVING A HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE WITH ANOTHER FIRM FROMYAKIMA AND I ENDED UP FIRING THEM...

— JOANNA E.

SO MY CASE WAS THE WORST. THE ACCIDENT INVOLVED MULTIPLE PEOPLE AND THE LOWEST POLICY LIMITS ALLOWED. THERE WERE TIMES I WAS FRUSTRATED AND THE TEAM KNEW IT. THEY ALLOWED ME TO EXPRESS MY FEELINGS AND WERE COMPASSIONATE. THEY WORKED HARD THROUGHOUT THE CASE EVEN WHEN THEIR HANDS WHERE TIED. THERE WERE TIMES THEY WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND TO CLOSE THIS CASE. THERE WASN’T MUCH MONEY LEFT WHEN ALL WAS SAID AND DONE. BUT THEY WENT THE EXTRA MILE TO MAKE SURE I WOULD WALK AWAY WITH MONEY IN MY POCKET. THEY DIDN’T HAVE TO DO THAT AND I’M SO GRATEFUL FOR EVERYTHING THEY’VE DONE FOR ME AND MY FAMILY. I WOULD ABSOLUTELY RECOMMEND THEM TO ANYONE LOOKING FOR HELP AFTER AN ACCIDENT

— URIEL F.

I HAD AN OPEN CASE WITH ANOTHER LAW FIRM AND THEY NEVER CALLED ME OR CHECKED ON ME TO SEE IF I WAS DONE TREATING. IT WASN’T UNTIL FOUR MONTHS AFTER I WAS DONE TREATING THAT I CALLED THEM TO LET THEM KNOW I WAS DONE.

— RHONDA Y.

I WAS SO RELIEVED WHEN I WAS REFERRED TO RITCHIE REIERSEN LAW AFTER A NECK INJURY FROM A CAR ACCIDENT. THEY JUST TOOK MY INFORMATION AND TOOK CARE OF EVERYTHING. THEY DEALT WITH ALL INSURANCE AND I DIDN’T HAVE TO WORRY. THEY WERE SO GREAT ...

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Copyright © 2016 by Brandon Ritchie

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other

electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other

noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address below:

Ritchie Reiersen Injury and Immigration Attorneys 316 N Neel St.

Kennewick, WA 99336

www.RRInjuryLaw.com

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INTRODUCTION

THE WHAT, WHY, HOWOf Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer

FIRST THINGS FIRSTWhat to do right after an accident

CRUCIAL QUESTION #1Do You Have Property Damage?

CRUCIAL QUESTION #2How Do You Deal with the Insurance Company?

CRUCIAL QUESTION #3How Do You Get Medical Treatment?

CRUCIAL QUESTION #4How Do You Pay for Medical Bills?

CRUCIAL QUESTION #5How do You Get Paid if You Can’t Work?

CRUCIAL QUESTION #6When and How Do You Close Your Case?

CRUCIAL QUESTION #7How Do You Choose an Attorney?

CONCLUSION

TABLE OF CONTENTS

You are reading this book because

• you have been involved in an accident,• you know someone that has, or• you know that driving is more dangerous than flying.

The bottom line is that there is a motor vehicle accident every 5 minutes in Wash- ington and you want to be prepared.

My goal in this book is to outline the seven major decisions that almost everyone faces while resolving their auto accident.

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You are reading this book because

• you have been involved in an accident, • you know someone that has, or •youknowthatdrivingismoredangerousthanflying.

The bottom line is that there is a motor vehicle accident every 5 minutes in Washington and you want to be prepared.

We want to help you make 7 crucial decisions involving:

1.propertydamage,2.dealingwithinsurancecompanies,3.seekingmedicaltreatment,4.payingformedicaltreatment,5.wageloss,6.closingtheclaim,7.andlastandpossiblymostimportant,choosingwhetherornottogetanattorney.

INTRODUCTION

Car accidents can be a pain in the neck - literally.

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Youmightbethinking,‘OfcoursetheattorneythinksgettinganattorneyisthemostimportantdecisionIcouldmake.’

AmIbiased?Sure I am.

I have made it my life’s work to make sure people receive the proper care andcompensationtheydeserveafteranaccident-withoutchasingambulances.Infact,Idon’tactuallyseeasinglepennyuntilmyclientshavebeentreatedandcompensated.

Haveyouconsideredwhoelseisbiased?

The insurance companies have very good attorneys themselves.

Theseattorneys,alongwiththeirinsuranceadjusterfriends,dealwithmultiplecaraccidentsonadailybasisandknowexactlyhowtopayyouthesmallestamountpossi-ble.

IhavepersonallyresolvedwelloverathousandautoaccidentcasesandIcannotbeginto count howmany times people havemade wrong decisions that have been det-rimentaltotheircase,oftenleavinglittlemeansforpropercareandcompensation.Even worse, many of these mistakes have created situations where a person hasserious,long-lastinginjuriesthatcangoundiagnosedoruntreated.

Now,thisisnotastep-by-step,how-tobook.Rather,thisbookisintendedtoprovideyouwithguidelinesofwhattowatchoutforandwhattoexpect.Everyautoaccidentisdifferentandhassomanyvariablesthatitwouldbeimpossibletomakeabookthatperfectlycoverseveryscenario.

IamverypassionateabouthelpingpeoplewhohavebeeninjuredbyothersandIhopethisbookisonemorewayIcancontinuemakingtherecoveryprocesslesspainful.

Hopefully, this book will empower you to do the right thing - even if you never call me.

INTRODUCTION

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Myfirmhasoffices inAuburn, Lynnwood, and Tacoma inWesternWashington andKennewickandYakimainEasternWashington.

Wewouldlovetoansweranyquestionsorconcernsyoumayhave.Consultationsarealwaysprovidedfreeofcharge.

Callusat•WesternWashington:(253)204-2244•EasternWashington:(509)396-5577

Sincerely,

BrandonRitchieAttorney-At-Law

INTRODUCTION

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What Does an Attorney Do?

...an auto accident attorney assesses the damage caused by an auto accident and guides their clients along a clear path of resolution.

Likeanautomechanicwhodiagnosesproblemswithcarsandimplementsaplanofrepair,anautoaccidentattorneyassessesthedamagecausedbyanautoaccidentandguidestheirclientsalongaclearpathofresolution.

Two of the primary responsibilities of your attorneywill be to ensure that you arerecoveringfromyourinjuriesbyconnectingyouwiththerightdoctorsandmakingsurethemedicalbillsgetpaid;dealwiththeinsurancecompanies.Thisincludeshandlingthepaperworkandcommunicatingwiththesecompaniestoguaranteeafairoutcomeforyourclaim.

Why Do You Need an Attorney After an Auto Accident?

Youhavealife.

WHAT, WHY, AND HOW

THE WHAT, WHY, AND HOWOF GETTING A PERSONAL INJURYATTORNEY

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Youshouldn’thavetospendweeksandmonthsdealingwithcarinsurancecompaniesandfrettingovermedicalbillsjustbecauseanothermotoristranintoyou.

That’stheattorney’sjob.

Iwouldn’twantmydentist tofixmyplumbingand Iamsureglad theplumber isn’tdrillingmyteeth.

Experiencedautoaccidentattorneysdealwithcaraccidentseveryday.It’swhattheyliveandbreathe.Theyknowhowtogetyourmedicalbillspaidandtheyknowhowtosettleyourclaim.Youcertainlydon’thavetohaveanattorney;justlikeyoudon’thavetohaveaplumberfixyourtoilet.ButIfindit’salwaysbettertohaveaprofessionalinyourcornerbeforeyou’reuptoyourears.

How Much Does it Cost and How Does It Work?

...attorneys do not get paid unless You win.

Twoeventsmusttakeplacebeforeyourpersonalinjuryattorneyiscompensated.

-Theattorneymustsettleyourclaimwiththeinsurancecompanyand -Youmustacceptthetermsofthesettlement.

This is called a contingency fee. Your attorney’s compensation is contingent, ordependent,onyoursettlement.Itisrisk-freeinthesensethatthereisnoexpectationofpaymentuntilthesettlementisacceptedandthecaseisclosed.

Whenresolvingyourcase,attorneyswillacquiremedicalrecordsandotherrelevantdocumentsinordertocompileademandpacket.Thedemandpacketistypicallyadetailedoutlineofexactlyhowtheaccidenthappenedanddocumentationofdamagesincurredbythevictimoftheaccident;including:

-wageloss, -medicalbills, -lossofenjoyment,

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-painandsuffering. -andothersvariablesthatautoaccidentscause.

It’s in the demand packet where you will state the specific dollar amount that theinsurancecompanywillneedtoawardininordertosettleyourclaim.

Mostofthetime,ittakesalotofnegotiatingbackandforth.Remember-thepeopleattheinsurancecompanyarebeingpaidtomakesuretheircompanycoverstheleastamountofdamagespossible.

Butnottoworry.Themajorityofclaimsareresolvedinthismanner.

However,sometimestheinsurancecompanywilloutrightrefuseyourclaim.Itwouldbeatthispointthatyourattorneywouldactuallyfilealawsuitincourtandmoveforwardintolitigation.

Therearemultipleplatformsofresolutionduringlitigation,andyourattorneywillkeepyouinformedasyouprogressthrougheachstep.

Remember,themajorityofclaimsgothroughthissimpleprocess:

Demand Packet > Negotiation > Settlement

WHAT, WHY AND HOW

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...if you are injured, taking care of yourself is the most important thing.

Ifyouarereadingthisbookyouhavelikelyalreadybeeninanaccidentandcan’tchangewhathasalreadyhappened.However,therearesomeintialstepstotakethatwillmakeyourcasemucheasiertoresolveinthelongrun.

Don’tworryifyouaren’tabletogetalloftheitemslistedbelow.Therearestillthingsyoucandototrytogetasmuchoftheinformationaspossible.

Obviously,asmentinedabove,ifyouareinjured,takingcareofyourselfisthemostimportantthing.Thepoliceandthosearoundyoushouldtakecareofthingswhileyouarenotableto.

Take Care of Yourself:

Ifyouneedanambulance,getanambulance.Ifyouneedtogotothehospital,go.If you need to see the chiropractor, physical therapist, family doctor, or whichevermedicalprovideryouneed,go.

DO NOT wait.

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WHAT TO DO RIGHT AFTER AN ACCIDENT

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Thelongeryouwait,thelongeryouwillsuffer.Also,thelongeryouwait,theeasieritwillbefortheinsurancecompanytodiscredityourinjuries.

ALWAYS call the police.

Policeofficershavealotofweightindecidingliability.Also,peoplemayinitiallyseemniceandcooperative.Theymightevenadmitfaulttoyou.It’samazinghowfasttheirstorycanchange.

Thiscreatesthe“hesaid,shesaid”scenariothatwilllikelyresultinhugeoutofpocketexpenseseventhoughtheaccidentwasnofaultofyourown.

Take Pictures:

“Thisisalowimpactaccident.”This is thestartingpositionofevery insuranceadjuster -especially ifyoudon’thavepictures.

Remember: It’s their job to make sure you are awarded the least amount of compensation.

Oneoftheeasiestwaystomitigatethatclaimistoprovidepicturesofthedamagedvehicle.It’salsoveryhelpfultotakepicturesoftheotherperson’svehicleandthesceneoftheaccidentincasethepersonwhohityoutriestodenyliabilitylater.

Get Witness Information:

Oftenliabilityisveryclearandwitnessesarenotasvital.

However, indisputed liabilitycaseswitnessescanmakeorbreak theclaim.Withoutindependentwitnesses,it’syourstoryagainsttheirs.

Itisalmostimpossibletofindwitnessesifyoudon’tgettheirinformationatthesceneoftheaccident.Thepolicewilltrytogetthisinformation,andwhiletheydotheirbest,gatheringwitnessstatementsoftenfallsthroughthecracks.

Do NOT Admit Fault:

Here’sthetruth:

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If I personally runa stop signand I hurt someone, I amat fault and Iwant to takeresponsibilityformyactions.

Now Ihavehelpeda lotofpeoplewhoshouldnothavehadany liabilityplacedonthem,butforwhateverreason,theydecidedtoadmitpartialfaultwhentalkingwiththepolice.

Ifyouadmitpartialfault,youwilllikelytobefoundtobepartiallyatfault.Theveryrealresultofthismayrequireyoutopaymoneyoutofyourpocketandalowersettlement.

Consider Getting an Attorney:

Honestly,youshouldatleastconsultanattorney-it’sfree.

Not only is the consultation free,youpaynothingunlessyouwin,and,bestofall,agoodattorneywill takecareof the insurancecompanyandmedicalbillssoyoucanfocusongettingbetter.

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CRUCIAL QUESTION #1

CRUCIAL QUESTION #1Do You Have Property Damage?

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• Your first priority - You

• Understand towing, storage costs, and rental insurance

• Figure out what kind of insurance coverage you have

• Choose a reputable repair shop

• Get into a rental car

• Understand total loss valuations

Getting Your Priorities Straight

Iamapersonwhoreallyappreciatesareliablecar,butitdoesn’tmatterhowniceyourcaris.Ifyouareinjured,yourcarisyoursecondpriority.

Thisisonemorereasonthatgettinganattorneyisadvantageous.Yourattorney’sjobistotakecareofalloftheinsurancestuff,includinghelpingwithpropertydamage,

soyoucanfocusongettingbetter.

I cannot emphasize this point strongly enough: Seek medical treatment if you areinjured.Seekmedicaltreatmentifyouthinkthereisapossibilityofbeinginjured.DONOTWAIT.

Where to Start

Youhavetwomainoptionswhenhandlingyourpropertydamage.

• Youcangetanattorneywhohasexperienceandknowledgeofpreferredautobodyshopsandvehiclevaluation,or

• youcanhandleityourself.

Ifyoudecidetodohandletheclaimonyourown,thefirststeptotakeistocallyourinsurancecompanyandopenaclaim.Youwillalsolikelyneedtoopenaclaimwiththeotherperson’sinsurancecompany.

Thisiswherethingscanbegintogetcomplicated.Therearemanyquestionsregardingproperty damage that fall under this property damage category. These questionsincludeandarenotlimitedtoeachsectiondiscussedbelow.

Costs to Acknowledge –Towing, Storage and Rental Insurance

Towingandstoragearesomeofthefirstthingsyouhavetodealwithwhenthereispropertydamage.Ifyourcarhastobetowed,therearegoingtobeheftytowingandstoragefees.

Ultimately, the “at-fault”party is responsible for these fees.Butwhile the insurancecompaniestaketheirtimefiguringoutwhocausedtheaccident,someone’sbillisgoingupanditgoesupquick.

Ifyoudon’thaveliabilityfiguredout,oranyonerepresentingyou,whenthisbillisdue,thenyou’reonthehook.

Bepreparedforthisaswell:Inmostinstances,theinsurancecompanieswillnotfullyreimbursestoragefees.Sogetyourvehicleoutofstorageassoonaspossible.

Itisalsoimportanttorealizethatalthoughthe“at-fault”insurancecompanyisresponsibletopaytherentalcarfees,mostrentalcarcompaniessellrentalcarinsurance.

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This isanoutofpocketexpensethatyouwillhaveto incur.The“at-fault” insurancecompanywillnotreimburseyou.

What Kind of Coverage do I Have?

Inordertoknowhowtohandleyourpropertydamageclaim,itisimportanttofigureoutwhatkindofcoverageyouhave.Mostpeoplethinktheyhaveadequatecoverage,onlytofindoutitisnotasgoodastheythought.

Therearetwoinsurancecompaniesinvolvedwhenthereisanaccident:

• 1stpartyinsurance,whichisyourinsurance,and• 3rdpartyinsurance,whichistheinsuranceofthepersonwhocrashedintoyou.

Iftherearemultiplevehiclesormultiplepoliciesitgetmorecomplicated,butmostoftheinformationbelowisapplicabletoallcoverages.

Inaperfectworld,the“at-fault”driver’sinsurancewillcoverallofyourpropertydamage.Thereare,however,multiplesituationsthatwillmakeyourpropertydamageworld“notsoperfect”including:

• the3rdpartyinsuranceisunabletocontacttheirpolicyholder,• the3rdpartyinsuranceisnotrespondingtoyourcalls,• the3rdparty insuranceismakingterribleofferstosettleyourpropertydamage,

and/or• the3rdpartyinsuranceissimplydenyingthattheirpolicyholderisatfault.

Afterliabilityisclearedup,youwillbereimbursedyourdeductibleandyourinsurancecompanywillbereimbursedforexpenses...

If the above mentioned scenarios do occur, your best option is to use your owninsuranceandpaythedeductible.Afterliabilityisclearedup,youwillbereimbursedyourdeductible and your insurance companywill be reimbursed for expenses theypaidout.

Using your own insurance is only applicable if youhave the right typeof coverage.Belowisabriefexplanationofthemosttypicalinsurancecoverages.

Uninsured Motorist Coverage – As the title implies, some people drive withoutinsurance.Usually, uninsureddriversdonothave the resources to compensate thepartiestheyhaveinjured.Ifyouareinanaccidentwithanuninsuredmotorist,hopefully

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youhaveuninsuredmotoristcoveragetohelp.

Liability Motorist Coverage–IntheStateofWashingtonallmotoristsmustcarryaminimumof$25,000inliabilitycoverage.Thisisthecheapestcoverageandofferstheleastamountofbenefits.

Ifyouarehitbyapersonwithbasicliability,theirinsurancewillcoverthecostofyourpropertydamageuptotheallottedamountoftheirpolicy.

Ifyouarehitbyanuninsuredmotoristandyouonlyhaveliabilitycoverageonyourcar,youarelikelyoutofluck-liabilitycoveragedoesnottypicallyextendcoverageonyourownvehicle.

Full Coverage–Fullcoverageinsurancetypicallyincludesuninsuredmotoristcoverage(UM)andunderinsuredmotoristcoverage(UIM).

UMcoveragecomesintoplayonlyiftheat-faultdriverisanuninsuredmotorist.

UIMcomesintoplayiftheat-faultmotorist’sinsurancepolicyisnotsufficienttocoverallthedamagetheyhavecaused.

Rental Insurance –Rentalcar insurance isanotheroptionalcoverage thatyoucanelecttopurchase.Theat-faultdriver isresponsibletogetyouintoarentalcarwhileyourcarisbeingrepairedorifyourcarisdeemedatotalloss.

Unfortunately, waiting for the 3rd party insurance company will often leave youstranded.Itiswisetouseyourown1stpartyrentalcoveragetogetintoarentalcar.Yourinsurancewillthenseektobereimbursedfromthe3rdpartyinsurancecompany.

Gap Insurance–Gapinsuranceisinsurancethatcoversthe“gap”onacarloanandtheactualvalueofthecar ifthecar isdeemedatotal loss.Thiscoverageistypicallypurchasedatthesametimeasthecarloan,butcanbepurchasedlater.Thiscoverageprotectsyouincasemoreisowedonyourcarthanit’sworth.

Personal Injury Protection –PIP insurance typicallydealsmorewith your injuriesthanwithyourpropertydamage,butwewilldiscussitbrieflyhereasitcanaffectyourclaim.

PIPisanadditionalcoveragethatcoverstheupfrontcostofyourmedicalbills.Toputitinthesimplesttermspossible,bypurchasingPIP,yourinsurancecompanyagreestopayyourmedicalbillsupfrontandgenerallyhastherighttobereimbursedifthereisanat-fault3rdparty.

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IfyouhavePIP,Istronglyencourageyoutouseit.Payingyourmedicalbillsupfrontwillkeepthemoutofcollections.PIPcanalsoprovidebenefitsincludingwagelossandotherpersonalexpenses.

Choosing a Repair Shop

Theinsurancecompanywilllikelytrytodirectyoutooneoftheir“preferred”shopsbutdonotbefooledintothinkingthatiswhereyouhavetotakeyourcar.Youhavetherighttochooseanyautorepairshopyouwant.Theinsurancecompanywilllikelytrytodirectyoutooneoftheir“preferred”shops,butdonotbefooledintothinkingthatiswhereyouhavetotakeyourcar.Therearemanyreasonswhyitmaybewisetochooseashopthatisnot“preferred”byyourinsurancecompany,butthatissomethingyoucantalktoyourattorneyabout.It is verywise toaskaroundanddo your researchwhendecidingwhichautobodyshopsarebest.Onceyougetafewnames,it isneverabadideatogetestimatesatmultipleshops.Theestimatesarealmostalwaysfreeandyouwilllikelybesurprisedbythedifferencesyouwilldiscoverateachshop.Afteryou’vemadeachoice,Irecommendhavingtheinsurancecompanycommunicatedirectlywith theshop.Thiswillnotonlymakeyour lifeeasier,butalsoensuresanywarrantyissueswillbetakencareof.Oncethecarisrepaired,theautoinsurerwillcutacheckdirectlytotheshop.

Rental Car

Ifyoulosetheuseofyourvehicleduetoanaccident,thenegligentdriverisrequiredtoeitherpayforarentalcarorpayyouforthelossofuseofyourvehicle.The unfortunate news about rental vehicles is that they do not have to rent you acarequivalenttoyourvehicle.However,that isusuallysomethingthatyouandyourattorneycannegotiate.

Electing to Keep the Money

Youcanelecttonottorepairyourvehicleandsimplypocketingthemoney.Insomesituationsthiscanmakesense.But,youneedtobeawarethatbyacceptingthismoney,evenifthecarisdamagedmoreseverelythaninitiallydiscovered,youreleasetheautoinsurancefromanyliabilityinregardstopropertydamagetothevehicle.

Total Loss & Valuation

Ifyourcarsuffersdamagethatnearsthevalueofthecar,theinsurancecompanyhas

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the right to either

• repairthecaror• reimburseyoufairmarketvalueofthevehicleifyourvehicleisdeemedatotalloss.

Youalsohavetherighttobuyyourcarbackfromtheinsurancecompany.Thevalueofthevehicleistypicallythesamepricethatasalvageyardwouldpayforthevehicle.Obviously,ifyoubuyyourvehiclebackandrepairit,itwillhaveabranded,orsalvaged,title.

Summary

Althoughyourvehicleisveryimportant,yourhealthisevenmoreimportant.Yourcarcanwait,butyourhealthcannot.

Mostpeoplebecomeveryfrustratedwiththefactthattheydonothavetheirvehicle.Althoughyourvehicleisveryimportant,yourhealthisevenmoreimportant.Yourcarcanwait,butyourhealthcannot.

Youdonothave togetanattorney to resolveyourpropertydamageclaim,but likeanything,havinganexperiencedprofessionalwhohasresolvedhundredsorthousandsofsimilarcasestakesthestressoffofyou.

Italsoensuresthatyourcarwillberepairedcorrectly,asquicklyaspossible,andthatyouwillbecompensatedfairly.

Most people find that hiring an attorney early on in the case allows them to focusongettingbetter.Letyourattorneyandtheirteamtakecareofthepaperwork,bills,headaches,anddetailsofdealingwiththeaccident.

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CRUCIAL QUESTION #2

CRUCIAL QUESTION #2How Do You Deal with the Insurance Company?

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• Prepare for frustration

• Opening an insurance claim

• The art of recorded statements

• Get ready for a lot of phone tag

• Understanding settlement talks

The Fun Starts Now – Not Really

Asapersonalinjuryattorney,Ihavetheprivilegeofdealingwithinsuranceadjusterseverysingleday.Here’s a fewotherwords todescribewhatdealingwith car insurance companies isreallylike–frustrating,irritating,exhausting,andlonely-because90%ofthetimeIamtalkingtoansweringmachines.

You do not have to have an attorneywhen dealingwith insurance companies, butjustknowthattheinsurancecompanieshavetheirownattorneys.Therearemultipleoccasionsthatyoumayhavetotalktotheinsurancecompaniesduringyourrecovery.Hereare themost likelycircumstances inwhichyou’llbedealingwith the insurancecompanies.

Opening a Claim

Theinitialsteptogettingtheinsurancecompaniestotakeactionistoopenaclaim.

Thiscanbeassimpleascallingthemandlettingthemknowwhathappened,butoftentimesrequiresa lotmore information.Thiscan includemultiplephonecalls,emails,faxes,etc.

Itislikelythatyouwillhavetoopenaclaimwithyourinsurancecompanyaswellaswithanyandallotherinsurancecompaniesinvolved.

Recorded Statements

Initially,bothinsurancecompanieswillwanttoaskyouquestionsabouttheaccidentin order to open the claim and determine liability. During these conversations theinsurance companieswill ask youmany questions both about the car accident andaboutyourinjuries.

Insurancecompaniestypicallyrecordeverythingyousay.

Oneofthetacticstheyuseistoaskyouthesamequestionmultipletimesinslightlydifferentways. Theywant to you to contradict yourself anddownplay your injuries.Later,duringnegotiations,they’llusethesestatementstominimizethevalueofyourclaim.

Itisalwaysbeneficialtodotheserecordedstatementsinthepresenceofyourattorney.

Written Correspondence

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One of the most common things insurance companies request in these writtencorrespondencesisyourpermissiontorequestallyourmedicalrecords.

Insurancecompaniesalsocorrespondvialettersandemail.

One of the most common things insurance companies request through written correspondence is your permission to access your medical records.

Whiletheydoneedtoseerelevantmedicalrecordstoproperlyvalueyourclaim,theyareactuallyseekingaccesstoallofyourmedicalrecords.

Theywillsearchyourrecordstofindpriorinjuriesthathaveverylittletodowiththecaraccidenttominimizeyoursettlement.Haveanattorneyrequestanddeliverthemedicalrecords.Atminimum,readthefineprintandrestricthowmuchaccessyougranttoyourpersonalmedicalrecords.

Correspondence

Oneofthemostfrustratingtasksofdealingwithinsurancecompaniesissimplytryingtogetholdofthem.

Oftentimes,theyareindifferenttimezonesandhavesomanyclaimsthatyou’llaveragethreetosevenmessagesbeforegettingareturncall.Thisisnotalwaysthecase,butoccursmoreoftenthananypersondeserves.

Additionally,ifyouaretryingtogetholdoftheinsurancecompany,itislikelybecauseyouneedthemtodosomethinglikefixyourcarorgetarental.Ifyoudonotknowyourwayaroundtheinternalcommunicationsoftheselargecorporations,thiscorrespondencecancausehugeheadachesandextremefrustrations.

Settlement Offers

DO NOTacceptanyoffersuntilyouknowforcertainthattheofferisfair.

Anotherimportantreasontheinsurancecompanymaybetryingtocommunicatewithyouistogetyoutosettleyourclaim.Thiscanoccurveryearlyintheclaimsprocessandwellbeforeyoumayknowtheextentofyourinjuries.

Donotacceptanyoffersuntilyouknowforcertainthattheofferisfair.Thisgoesforbothpropertydamageaswellasforyourinjuryclaims.

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Independent Medical Evaluations, or IMEs

Insurance companiesoftenask if youwill bewilling to seean IndependentMedicalEvaluationdoctor.The“independent”doctor’sjobistotakealookatyourinjuriesanddetermineifyouneedmoretreatmentorif,intheiropinion,youshouldbehealedbynow.

Theyarepaidbytheinsurancecompany,thereforetheyarealmostalwaysunfavorabletoyou.TheIMEprocess,moreoftenthannot,occursattherequestofthe1stpartyinsurance,yourowninsurancecompany,usuallytodetermineiftheyfeeltheyshouldcontinuetopayyourPIPbenefits.

Unfortunately,ithasbeenmyexperiencethatalmosteveryIMEcomesoutnegative,asitisinthebestinterestoftheinsurancecompanytocloseyourclaimandstoppayingyourmedicalbills.

Conclusion

Dealing with insurance companies to get your car fixed is not always frustrating.Sometimestheinsurancecompaniesdoagoodjobapprovingtheautobodyshoptofixyourcar,butthisiscertainlynotalwaysthecase.

If you are involved in an accident, hopefully the insurance companies do their jobsefficientlyandfairly.

Whentheydon’t,it’stimetocallanattorney.

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03Crucial Question #3: How To Get Medical Treatment?

youcantogetbacktowhereyouwere.Ifyouarehurting,evenifyouthinkthiswill go away, seek medical treatment immediately.

Do NOT Wait to Get Treated

Providing medical records is the only way toprovetothatyouare,infact,injured.Ifyouarehurt,getmedicaltreatmentandgetitpromptly.

Thisisnotonlycriticalforyourlongtermhealth,buttheonlywaytoprovethatyouare,infact,injuredisbyprovidingmedical records documenting your injuries.

Recovery is your Top Priority

Althoughitisnicetogetalittlebitofmoneyfromasettlementafteracaraccident,butyoucan’tputapriceonyourhealth.

Veryrarelydohear,“IamsogladIgotinthatwreck.”

MoreoftenIhear,“Iwishthisaccidentneverhappened.”

Ifyouhavealreadybeeninanaccident,youcan’tchangethepast.Youhadbettertakecareofyourselfanddoeverything

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• Your recovery is your top priority• Do not wait to treat• It is important to have the right team of doctors• Be consistent and patient with your treatment and recovery• Do not settle too early

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Oneofthemostcommontacticsinsurancecompaniesusetojustifynotpayingformedicalbillsrelatedtocaraccidentsisgapsintreatment,orlapsesintimewherethereisnodocumentationofinjuriesandtreatment.

Get the Right Team of Doctors

...having the right doctors on your team will make a huge difference in your case.

Whendealingwithcaraccidents,havingtherightdoctorsonyourteamwillmakeahugedifferenceinyourcase.Althoughmostdoctorsaremorethancompetenttotreatyourinjuries,thereisahugedifferenceinhowdifferentdoctorsdocumenttheirnotesandthosenotesarewhatprovetheseverityofyourinjuries.

Additionally,havingtherightteamofdoctorsallowsyoutogetthetreatmentthatyouneed.

Asanexample,mostchiropractorsknowhowtodoadjustmentsandcanhelpyouphysicallyrecover.However,youmayneedtobereferredtogetanMRIortoseeanorthopedicsurgeon.Somechiropractorsaremorereluctanttoreferclientsoutordon’thavegoodrelationshipswiththosetypesofproviders.

Thisisanotherreasonwhygettinganattorneycanprovetobeverybeneficial.Attorneysarenotdoctors,buttheyworkwiththemeveryday.Experiencedpersonalinjuryattorneysknowwhichdoctorsarenotonlygoingtohelpyougetbetter,butalsowhichonesworkbetterwithcarinsurances.

Be Consistent, Be Patient

Oneofthemaintacticsthatinsurancecompaniesusetoofferlowersettlementsistolookatinconsistenciesintreatment.

Icannotreiterateenoughtheimportanceofbeingconsistentandpatientwithyourtreatment.Mostpeopleexperiencewhatinsurancecompaniesdeem“softtissueinjury,”meaningtherenobrokenbones.Softtissueinjuriestypicallyrequirethreetosixmonthsoftreatment.Thiscanmeantreatmentmultipletimesaweekformonths.

Itisnotfungoingtotheseappointmentsandsometimestheycanhurt,butifyou are not consistent with your treatment, it will hurt you a lot more in the long run.Ifyoudonottreatconsistently,itisalotlesslikelythatyouwillfullyrecoverfromyourinjuries.

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Insurancecompanieswilluseaninconsistenttreatmentrecordtoofferlowersettlements.Theywilllookatinconsistenciesintreatmentandclaimthatifapersonwasreallyhurt,theywouldgivetheirprescribedtreatmentplanseriously.

Do NOT Settle Too Early

Do not settle your case without talking to an attorney.

Nothingmakesmecrazierthanhavingapotentialclientcometomyofficeandtellmetheyarestillhurtingbuttheyalreadyacceptedanoffer.

Thereasonthisdrivesmesocrazyisbecausewhattheinsurancecompanyreallydidwaspaytheclientafewhundredbucksandnowtheyareoffthehookforallfuturemedicalbills.

Donotsettleyourcaseuntilyouarebetter.

Evenbetteradvice:Donotsettleyourcasewithouttalkingtoanattorney.Theconsultationisfree.

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04QUICK PREVIEW

CRUCIAL QUESTION #4

CRUCIAL QUESTION #4How Do You Pay for Medical Bills?

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• PIP – Personal Injury Protection

• Using your health insurance

• Paying for medical treatment using a lien

• Understanding your medical coverages

• Overview of policy limits

Now is the Time to Plant a Money Tree

Theobviousdownsideofgoingtothedoctoristhecostofmedicaltreatment.Iamnotheretosugarcoatthings-itisexpensive. IfyouremergencyroomvisitincludesCTscansoranyextensivediagnostictesting,youhavelikelyalreadyincurredover$10,000.00inbills.That’salotofmoneyforanyone.

• The process of negotiating

• The perils of collections

Fortunately,thereareafewoptionsandthebestthingyoucandoistotakecareofyourselfandgetthetreatmentyouneed.

Personal Injury Protection, or PIP

Personal Injury Protection is optional coverage you purchase when you buy carinsurance. Much like uninsured motorist and underinsured motorist, many peoplecarry some sort of PIP coverage. PIP policies generally cover between $10k-$50k inmedicalcosts.

PIPcanalsocoverwagelossandotherfinanciallosses.

Health Insurance

Much like PIP coverage, you can usually use your health insurance to pay for youmedicalbillsupfront.However,yourhealthinsurancewillbeasecondaryinsurancetoanyPIPcoverage.

MedicalprovidersaresupposedtobillyourPIP insurancefirst.Manyprovidersmayrefuse to bill your health insurance formedical treatment related to a car accidentsimplybecausetheycanmakemoremoneybynotusingyourhealthinsurance.

It is common knowledge that health insurance companies negotiate with medicalprovidersabouthowmuchtheywillpayfordifferentprocedures.Ininstanceswherethere is an option of billing health insurance, for example the car insurance of thepersonwhocausedtheaccident,somemedicalproviderssimplyrefusetobillhealthinsurances.Also,likePIP,yourhealthinsurancehastherighttobepaidbackformostmedicalexpensestheypayoutwhicharedirectlyrelatedtoyouraccident.

Liens

Thisisoftentimestheonlyoptionthatmanypeoplehave...

Therearealsosomemedicalproviderswhowillprovidemedicaltreatmentonconditionthattheclient,andmostlikelytheclient’sattorney,signalienwhichensuresthebillwillbepaidoncethecasesettles.ThisisoftentimestheonlyoptionthatmanypeoplehaveastheyeitherdonothavePIPcoverage,theirPIPcoveragehasbeenexhausted,ortheydonothavehealthinsurance.

Mostmedicalproviderswillnotworkonalienbasiswithoutanattorneyinvolved.

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Knowing Your Medical Coverage Options

Whendealingwithtryingtofigureouthowtopayforyourmedicalbills,itisimportanttoknowwhatcoverageyouhaveand,moreimportantly,knowinghowtousethem.InsomeinstancesPIPpoliciescanstack,meaningmultiplePIPpoliciesmaybeinplace.ThiscanoccurifyouareapassengerinacarandbothyouandtheownercarryPIPcoverage.

Manypeoplehavesupplementalpolicies,suchasAFLAC,thatwillpayforemergencyroomvisitsandshortorlongtermdisabilitypoliciesthatcanpayformissedwork.Thereareamyriadofotherpoliciesandifyouthinkyoumayhaveanyofthesepolicies,do your homework anduse them.An experienced car accident attorney dealswiththesetypesofpolicieseverydayandcanbeahugeresourceofknowledge.

Policy Limits

Evenifthecaseisworthmore,thatmaximumamountisalltheinsurancecompanyhastopay.

Oneofthebiggestfrustrationswithseriouscaraccidentsisthefactthattheremaybealackofadequateinsurancecoveragetocompensateyouforyourinjuriesandmedicalbills.Apolicylimitisthemaximuminsurancecoveragethatanindividualpurchases.Evenifthecaseisworthmore,thatmaximumamountisalltheinsurancecompanyhastopay.

IntheStateofWashingtontheminimumpolicyrequiredbylawis$25,000perperson.Thatmeansthatevenifyouareseriouslyhurt,orevenworse,killedbysomeonewitha$25,000policy,thatisalltheinsurancehastopay.

Thisisonereasonwhyitissoimportanttohaveuninsuredmotoristandunderinsuredmotoristcoverage.

Casesthatinvolvepolicylimitissuesarecomplicatedintheadifferentwaythanothercases.Ratherthantryingtogetmoremoney,itnowbecomesyourresponsibilitytotrytoreducetheamountofmoneyowed.

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Negotiating Costs

Oneaspectofpayingformedicalbillsistryingtogetmedicalproviderstoreducethecostoftreatment.Doctorsandmedicalfacilitiesareliketherestofus,theywanttheirmoneyanddon’treallylikeitwhenyouaskthemforadiscount.

Someofthemwillreluctantlyagreetoreducetheirbills,butothersrefuse.TherearestatutoryrequirementsintheStateofWashingtontohelpwithmedicalbillreductionsincaseswheremedicalbillsfarexceedthesettlementmoneygoingtoinjuredperson.Formoreinformationonthoselaws,Istronglyadviseyoucontactanattorney.

Collections

YouMUSTpayaminimumpaymenteachmonthtoensureyourclaimdoesnotgotocollections.

Asifgettinghitbyacar,beinginjured,missingwork,andnotsleepingisn’tenough,tomakemattersworse,medicalprovidershavetheright tosendyourbill tocollectionagenciesifyoudonotpaythempromptly.

The problem with resolving car accidents is that they generally are not resolvedpromptly.Youmustpayaminimumpaymenteachmonthtoensureyourclaimdoesnotgotocollections.

Havinganattorneyonyourteamhelpskeepbillsfrombeingsenttocollections,asyourattorneylikelyhasrelationshipswithmostofthemedicalfacilitiesyou’llbetreatedat.Theywilltalkwiththesefacilitiesonyourbehalfandarrangetohavethemholdthebilluntilthecasesettles.

CRUCIAL QUESTION #4

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To work or not to work – It hurts either way

05Crucial Question #5: How Do You Get Paid If You Can’t Work?

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CRUCIAL QUESTION #5

QUICK PREVIEW

• Get doctor’s notes excusing work

• Document everything and gather old wage documents

• How and when you get paid

• What happens if you get laid off?

The reason thatmostofuswork isbecauseweneedmoney.Ahugeproblemwithbe injured in a car accident is that even menial tasks become hard and working your regularjobbecomesanimpossibility.

Therearesomeimportantstepstotakeinordertobefullycompensatedforlostwagesduetoanaccident.

Asawarning,Iamgoingtobeveryblunt:Mostofthetime,inmostsituations,thebestthingyoucando,ifyoucan,istowork.

Get a Doctor’s Note

...make sure your doctor does his job and puts proper details in the note like how long he is excusing you and exactly what you can and can’t do.

Tellingyou thatyouneedadoctor’snotemaysound likeweare takingyouback toelementaryschool,butinsurancecompanyadjustershavelessacceptanceandgracethanyourtypicalsecondgradeteacher.

Inspiteofthefactthatyouweresmashedbyaten-tonsemigoingthirtymilesperhour,theinsurancecompanycan’tseemtograspthefactthatyouaretoosoretoworkunlessadoctorwritesanotethatspecificallystatesthatyoucan’treturntoyouremployment.Ifyouaregoingtomissmoretimethantheinitialprescribedperiodofworkduetoyourinjuries,thebestthingtodoisgetyourselfbacktothedoctor.

Anothersidenote is tomakesureyourdoctordoeshis jobandputsproperdetailsinthenote,likeforhowlongyouareexcusedandexactlywhatyoucanandcan’tdo.Thesedetailsmustbeexplicit.

Document Wage Loss

Theonlyway toprove that youhavemissedwork is toprove that youwork in thefirstplace.Theinsurancecompanyisgoingtorequireproofofemployment,proofofincome,andproofofaveragehoursworked.Theymayevenwantwrittenproofthatyouremployercouldnothaveprovidedlightdutyorsomeothertaskthatyoucouldhavedone.

Theyare also going towantdocumentedproof as tohowmanyhours youactuallymissed,includingspecificdates,times,andreasons.

Getting Paid

Unfortunatelygettingpaidfromtheautoinsurancecompanyforlostwagesisnotaseasyaspickingupyourcheck.

First,youhavetocompletealltheabovementioneditemsandconvincetheinsurancecompanythatyouwereinfacthurtbadenoughtonotbeabletowork.Thentherealfunstarts.

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IfyouhavePIP,thereisgenerallyawaitingperiodbeforeyourwagelossbenefitsevenbegintokickin.OftentimesthismeansthatthefirsttwoweeksofmissingworkwillnotbecompensatedtoyoufromPIP.

Thisdoesnotmeanthatyouwillnoteventuallybecompensated. It justmeansthatmostof the timeyouwillnotbecompensateduntil you resolve theentirepersonalinjuryclaim.Thiscantakemonthsorsometimesyears.

Somepeoplehavetheluxuryofhavingsickleaveorvacationtimethattheycanuse.Byusingyourvacationorsicktimeyourpaycheckdoesnotshowahugedipinsalary,butyoucertainlylostthattimethatyouwouldotherwisehavehad.

Somepeoplealsohavesupplemental short termdisability insurancewhichcankickinandpay.However,therearemanydifferentoptionswithmanydifferentvariables.It isadvised thatyoucontacteitheranattorneywhocanexplain themtoyouor,atminimum,contactyourinsuranceproviderimmediately.

Inmostcircumstanceswherewagelossisapplicable,thestraightansweristhatyoutypicallydonotreceivereimbursementforlossofincomeuntiltheclaimissettled.

What if I Lose My Job?

AcommonquestionIhearis,“whatifIgetfiredbecauseIcan’tcometowork.”

Therearelawsthatprotectagainstthesetypesofsituations,butthat isnottosayitdoesn’thappen.Ifthisisthecaseandyouhavedoctor’snotesanddocumentationtoprove thatyoucannotwork, thereareacoupleofdifferentoutcomes thatcan takeplace.

First,theinsurancecompanyofthenegligentdriver,andyourownpersonalUM/UIMcoverage,aretechnicallysupposedtocompensateyouforallofyourlosses,includingbothcurrentandfuturewageloss.Inaperfectworld,thiswouldalwaysbethecase.

Second,youmayverywellhaveaclaimforwrongfulterminationagainstyouremployer.Thisisacompletelydifferentclaimanditisadvisedthatyoucontactanattorneywhofocusesonthatareaoflaw.

CRUCIAL QUESTION #5

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CRUCIAL QUESTION #6

CRUCIAL QUESTION #6When and How Do You Close Your Case?

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• Still injured, don’t close your claim

• Statute of limitations

• Understanding the process of closing your claim

• Negotiating

• Litigation basics – arbitration and mediation

Itisveryimportanttoknowthatthisisyourcaseanditisyourrighttocloseyourclaimatanytime.

However, just because you have the right to close the claim at any time does not mean that it is the right thing to do!

Inotherwords,youcancloseyourclaimatanypoint,butthereareafewimportantfactors that you should take into consideration before you close your claim. Thesefactorsincludethestatusofyourinjuries,statuteoflimitations,settlementoffers,andyouroverallwellbeing.

Itisalsoverybeneficialtounderstandtheprocessofhowthisallworks.

Still Injured? Do not Close too Early

Once the claim is closed, the insurance company is no longer responsible for any additional medical bills.

Oneofthebiggestmistakes Iseepeoplemake isacceptingasettlementofferwhentheyarestillsuffering.

Once the claim is closed, the insurance company is no longer responsible for anyadditionalmedicalbills-eveniftheinjuriesareadirectresultoftheaccident.

Arguablythetwobiggestfactorsthatcreatevalueforyourclaimare

• theextentofinjuryand• thetimeittakesforthoseinjuriestorecover.

Theonlywaythataninsurancecompanycandecipherboththeextentof injuryandtimeittakestohealisbyevaluatingthemedicalrecordsprovidedbyyourdoctors.

By closing your claim too early there is noway toprove to the insurance companythefullextentofyourinjuries,especiallyifyoustoptreatment,becausethosemedicalrecordsdonotexist.

Ihavehadmanyclientstellmethey‘justwantittobeover’andthey‘wanttomoveonandjustdealwiththepain’.Thatiscertainlytheirdecisionandcanbeyourdecisionaswell.

Just know that by closing your claim early, you are not only going to be personallyresponsibleforanyadditionalmedicalbills,butyourclaimwillalsobelessvaluable.

Statute of Limitations

Iftheclaimisnotacceptedbeforethattime,theclaimbecomesnullandyouessentiallyloseoutonanysettlement.

Caraccidentcaseshavealimitedtimethattheclaimremainsopen.Iftheclaimisnotacceptedbeforethattime,theclaimbecomesnullandyouessentiallyloseoutonanysettlementtheinsurancemayoweyou.

CRUCIAL QUESTION #6

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There are a few exceptions to this rule. Themost noteworthy exception is filing alawsuit.Byfilingalawsuitthestatuteoflimitations,theabovementionedtimeframe,isextended.

IntheStateofWashington, thestatuteof limitations is threeyearsfromthedateoftheaccident.Minorsinvolvedincaraccidentshavedifferenttimelimitationsanditisrecommendedthatyouconsultanattorneywhohasexperiencewiththoseexceptions.

Process of Closing Your Claim

Onceyouhavedecidedthatyoudoinfactwanttocloseyourclaim,thereareacoupleofthingsthathappen.

The responsible car insurancewill need to acquire a copyof yourmedical bills andrecordsinordertoevaluateyourclaim.Ifyouhaveanattorney,theattorneywillusuallyacquire theserecordsandput togetherwhat iscalledademandpacketoutliningallmedicalbills,outofpocketexpensive,andanywagelossandsufferingthisaccidenthascaused.

Ifyoudonothaveanattorney,typicallythe insurancecompanywillhaveyousignareleasedocumentallowingthemtohaveaccesstoallofyourmedicalrecords.

Thereareobviousdownsidesofallowingtheinsurancecompanyaccesstoeverything.Theremaybemedicalrecordsthatarecompletelyunrelated,yettheymayusethemasammunitionagainstpayingyoufairvalueonyourclaim.

Theinsurancecompanywillthenmakeanoffer.

Negotiating

Theinitialofferisusuallymuchlowerthanthetruevalueoftheclaim.It is the insurancecompany’s jobasa for-profitbusiness topayas littleas theycanwhensettlingaclaim.

Therefore,theinitialofferisusuallymuchlowerthanthetruevalueoftheclaim.Unfortunately,manypeopledonotknowanybetterandaccepttheseoffers.Oneoftheprimarydutiesofyourattorneyinresolvingtheclaimisnegotiatingwiththeinsurancecompanyandgettingtheinsurancecompanytopayasmuchmoneyaspossible.

Ittrulyisdifficulttoputavalueonclaimsaseachclaimisunique.Thisiswhyhavinganattorneywhohasexperiencesettlingcaraccidentsisvital.Allautoaccidentattorneys

CRUCIAL QUESTION #6

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do is work with car accidents and they know the average range your car accident should settlefor.

Litigation

Mediationsaremuchmoreaffordableandcanoftenreacharesolutioninhoursinsteadofmonths.

Litigationisafancywordforsayingyouaregoingtosuesomeone.

Up to thispoint therehas likelynotbeena lawsuitfiled. In fact,mostcases resolvewithoutevenhavingtofilealawsuit.Whenaresolutionhasnotbeenreachedorthestatuteoflimitationisabouttoexpire,litigationislikelytheanswer.

Itisalsoimportanttonotethatjustbecausealawsuitisfileddoesn’tnecessarilymeanyouaregoingtohavetositinfrontofajudge.Theinsurancecompanycanmakenewoffersatanypoint.

TherearevariousaspectsoflitigationandIwilltrytooutlinethemajorplayersbelow.

Arbitration-Arbitrationisatoolusedfordisputeresolutionandisoftenusedasanalternativetocourt.

Arbitrationismuchquickerandlessexpensivealternativetocourtroomlitigation.Generallyanexperiencedattorneyactsasthearbitratororthe“judge.”Thearbitratorlistenstobothsidesandeachsidehastheopportunitytopresenttheircase,muchlikeatrialonlyundermuchmorerelaxedconditions.

Once the arbitrator has listened to both sides, he or she then makes a decision to award asdamagesbasedonliabilityandvalue.

Arbitrationisoftenaverygoodalternativetotrial,butalsohasitscomplicationsandyouareusuallymuchbetteroffhavinganexperiencedattorneytorepresentyou.

Mediation-Mediationsaremuchmoreaffordableandcanoftenreacharesolutioninhoursinsteadofmonths.

Mediations do not focus on the facts of the case, but rather focus on both partiescomingtoafinancialresolution.

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Inamediation,thereisanunbiasedmediatorwhoactsastheliaisonbetweenthetwopartieswhoaregenerallyintwoseparaterooms.

Typicallythemediatorwillasktheinsurancecompanywhattheyarewillingtooffertheinjuredpartyandwithoutdisclosinganynumbers,alsoaskstheinjuredpartywhattheyarewillingtoaccept.Themediatorthenbeginstonegotiatewitheachsideinordertocometoaresolution.

Litigation -LitigationrequiringafullblowntrialisnotquiteasintenseasseenonTVbutrequiresalotmoreworkandismuchmorecomplicated.

TherearenotenoughtreesintheStateofWashingtontodiscussallofthecomplicationsandspecialrulesforjurytrials.

Thereprobablyareactuallyenoughtrees,buttherealityisifyourcaseisheadedforafullblowntrial,youareeithercrazyorstraightoutamazingtowanttotrytobravethatbattlewithoutanattorney.

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Choosing the right attorney is crucial. Like any profession, there are a lot of really good personal injury attorneys and there are some that are not quite as good.

Lawisaninterestingprofessionbecausetherearenotanyrequirementsforspecialization.Forinstance,inmedicine,ifyouwanttooperateonsomeone’sbrainyoufirstbecomeabrainsurgeon.Abrainsurgeonisverydifferentfromanorthopedicsurgeonwhowenttoschooltolearnhowtoworkonbones.

Crucial Question #7How Do You Choose an Attorney?

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CRUCIAL QUESTION #7

QUICK PREVIEW• What does an attorney do?

• Why would you want an attorney?

• How much does it cost?

• What is the process of getting an attorney?

Inlaw,anyattorneycantechnicallydoanytypeoflaw.Withthatbeingsaid,youaregoingtobe inbetterhandswithanattorneywhofocusesonautoaccidentcasestoresolve your car accident than someone who spends ninety percent of their timehelpingpeoplegetdivorced.

Rememberthatyourattorneyandtheirstaffareonyourteam.Youaregoingtobedealingwiththeattorney’sparalegalsalot,probablyevenmorethanyoudowiththeattorney, so you need to make sure that you not only trust your attorney but also their staff.

Oneof thebest things todo isaskaround.Askyourdoctorandyour friends.Readonlinereviewsandstudytheirwebsite.However,thebestthingyoucandoistalktothemeitherbyphoneorinperson.

Experiencemattersbutdonotbefooledintothinkingthatthenumberofyearsapersonhasbeenanattorneymeanstheyhavealotofexperience.Findouthowmanyautoaccidentstheyhaverepresentedanddigintotheirsuccesses.Lookatyourattorney’sbiographyandbesurethattheyarepassionateabouthelpingpeople.

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Ithurtsyourback,yourhead,yourneck,yourpocketbook,yourcalendar,yourcar,andevenyourtemperament.

Tomakemattersworse,dealingwithinsurancecompaniescanbealmostaspainfulastheactualinjuries.

Insurancecompanieshavebeenhandlingautoaccidentclaimsforyearsandyearsandhavecreatedascienceofhowtominimizetheexpensestheypay.Theyputyour medical bills and recovery time into an algorithm and generate a number that theythinkis“fair”basedonwhattheycanjustifyasbeingthereasonableandtypicalrecoverytime.

Iamthefirstpersontotellyouthatnoteverycaraccidentrequiresanattorney.However,Ihavehandledalotofcaraccidentclaimsandhavebeenabletogetbetterresultsthantheinsurancecompaniesofferedtheseclientsbeforehiringme.

Below are a few reasons why you may want to contact a personal injury attorney.

• You sustained injuries• You have medical bills• Your car was damaged• You lost time at work• Youaretiredofdealingwithinsurance• Youdon’tknowwhattodo

Getting into an auto accident REALLY hurts.

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Typically,allpersonalinjuryattorneyswillgiveyouafreeconsultation.Thisconsultationisatimeforyouandtheattorneytoreviewyourcaseandansweranyquestionsyouhave,aswellasexplaintherecoveryprocess.

Ihavepersonallywrittenthisbookasareferencetoansweryourbasicquestions.Thisbooklikelywillnotanswereveryquestionyouhave,butIamhappytoansweranyquestionsyoumayhavefreeofchargeandobligation.

WehavemultipleofficesonboththeWestsideofthestateaswellastheEastsideforyourconvenience.

Feelfreetocallusateither(253)204-2244or(509)396-5577.

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Brandon knows how much being injured in a car accident can affect your life.

Whenhewasthreeyearsold,hisfatherwasseverelyinjuredinanaccidentanditcompletelychangedthelivesofhisfamily.Theaccidentcausedthelossoftheirfamilybusinessandlefthisveryathleticfatherboundtoawheelchair.

Hehasexperiencedthedetrimentalimpactinhisownlife,whichiswhyhehasdevotedhisentirelegalcareertorepresentingpeoplethathavebeeninjuredincaraccidents.

Hehaspersonallyrepresentedover1000clientsamountingtowellover$15,000,000.00intotalsettlements.

BrandonattendedlawschoolattheUniversityOfIdaho,CollegeOfLaw,andearnedhisMaster’sDegreeinBusinessAdministrationfromWashingtonStateUniversity.BrandongrewupinBurley,Idaho,asmallfarmingcommunity,wherehelearnedthevalueofhardwork.Hegrewupraisingbothcattleandworkingonagriculturalfarms.ItwasduringhisdaysinBurleythathedevelopedhisloveoftheoutdoors.Hisfamilyoftentookcampingtripsandfishingoutings.Fishingcontinuestobeoneofhisfavoritethings.

BrandonismarriedtohisbeautifulwifeSarahandtheyhavethreesons,Mason,Jake,andChase,whoarethejoyoftheirlifeandkeepthemextremelybusyoutsideofwork.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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BRANDON RITCHIEATTORNEY-AT-LAW

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KENNEWICK316 N Neel Street

Kennewick,WA99336(509)396-5577

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YAKIMA8EastWashingtonAveSuite106

Yakima,WA98903

(509)658-7000

AUBURN1102ndStreetSuite135

Auburn,WA98001(253)204-2244

TACOMA1011636thAveCtSWSuite106

Lakewood,WA98499(253)204-2244

WehavefourconvenientlocationsinWesternandCentralWA

WealsoofferotherPersonalInjuryand ImmigrationServices.

Callourteamtoday.Wewouldlovetohelpyouinanywaywecan.

WespeakSpanishandofferfreeconsultations