David Vs. Goliath: Uphill Battles In Georgia Personal Injury Claims

If you have been injured in a car crash or other accident in Georgia, things can quickly get overwhelming. Fortunately, the personal injury claim process allows you to obtain financial compensation — if you can get past the insurance company giants trying to avoid paying out. This article covers the basics of the personal injury claim system that will allow you, with the help of skilled attorneys, to take on these industry goliaths and win, including:

• How to begin the personal injury claim process after an accident in Georgia.
• Common tactics and techniques used by insurance companies you need to watch out for.
• What happens when insurance companies cannot be reasoned with – and how a lawyer can help.

Why Is The Personal Injury Claim Process Often An Uphill, Stressful Battle In Georgia?

If you have been injured in an accident, it can feel like the odds are stacked against you. Despite being hurt by someone else due to their negligence, you are expected to navigate this complicated legal and bureaucratic field on your own.

Worse still, the insurance company that is supposed to be helping is delaying or trying to get you to accept a tiny sum. All too quickly, you can find yourself asking:

• What will it cost to get the compensation I need?
• Do I even have a valid personal injury case?
• Who will pay for my medical care?
• Do I have to notify my own insurance company?
• How can I get what I need when the other driver only has $25,000 in insurance?
• Why should I use my own medical payments coverage for my medical bills since they caused the injury?

If you find yourself asking questions like these about the personal injury claim system after you or a loved one have been injured, you have come to the right place. At Sexton Weldon, our personal injury attorneys will work diligently to ensure you get justice and compensation — and that starts by helping you understand the personal injury claim system in Georgia.

How Do I Begin The Personal Injury Claim Process After An Accident With Serious Injuries In Georgia?

The most important thing you need to do after an accident is to get medical attention as soon as possible. The earlier you are seen by a doctor, and your injuries are recorded and analyzed, the better.

Not only will this ensure you get good medical care and are on the path to recovery, but it will strengthen your personal injury claim in the eyes of the insurance companies and the law.

Once you have done so, the next step is to consult a personal injury attorney. Trying to handle the claim process on your own is not just difficult and stressful; it leaves you vulnerable to insurance companies and their adjusters who will try to take advantage of your ignorance of the law.

Attorney Jacob Weldon is a diligent Georgia personal injury attorney who has helped accident and injury victims just like you recover millions in medical bills and other costs. Guided by faith in the pursuit of justice, attorney Jacob Weldon hopes to ensure every injured Georgian gets the compensation they need.

If you have been injured in Georgia, contact his firm, the Sexton Weldon Law Firm, today to schedule an initial consultation.

Call For A Free Consultation - (470) 693-8777

What Are The Most Common Tactics Insurance Companies Use To Deny Or Limit Personal Injury Claims?

Insurance companies do not want to pay out anything if they can avoid it, and they will often pursue a wide variety of tactics to avoid doing so. Some of these tactics will include…

• Questioning Liability

Casting the blame on somebody else is a frequent tactic, if they can blame the accident on you, (or anyone but their client), they do not have to pay.

• Offering Early Settlements

Often they will also offer a small settlement at the outset before you know the real value of your case. They will frame this as a favor, but accepting an early settlement will leave you unable to obtain more coverage later when you need it.

• Using Policy Language Against You

Insurers often try to find ambiguous policy exclusions that they can use to restrict how much they pay, or prior incidents and accidents to blame your injuries on.

• Dragging Out The Claim Timeline

It’s common for insurance companies to drag things out, hoping you’ll lose interest or get desperate enough to resolve the case for less than it is worth.

• Challenging Your Medical History

They’ll look for any gaps in medical treatment, pre existing injuries, or inconsistencies in your story to invalidate your claim. Alternatively, they will argue that your medical treatments were not reasonable or necessary.

• Undermining Your Credibility

If you take an insurance company to court to force them to pay what they owe, they will try to challenge your credibility in any way they can.

It’s important to remember that insurance companies are not on your side; they are only on the side of their profits. This is why you should be wary of any offers and always seek the advice and guidance of an attorney to fight for your side and rights.

If The Insurance Company’s Offers A Settlement Right Away, Should I Take The Offer?

It is almost impossible for you (or anyone) to realize right away the full extent of your injuries, much less the entire financial and emotional impact an accident will have on your life.

However, the insurance company will likely try to get you to accept an offer early on, often before you even get your first medical bills. You should almost never accept this offer and certainly shouldn’t accept it without having it looked at by an attorney.

The insurance company is going to try to pay only the remainder of what’s left of your initial medical bill after your health insurance coverage, or if you’re an uninsured party, the adjusted amount for an uninsured patient. Either way, you are going to get a very minimal offer from them.

An attorney, on the other hand, will ensure the full extent of the medical bills that the insurance company is liable for is paid, putting the money you truly need in your pocket.

Attorney Jacob Weldon is a diligent Georgia personal injury attorney who has helped accident and injury victims just like you recover millions in medical bills and other costs. Guided by faith in the pursuit of justice, attorney Jacob Weldon hopes to ensure every injured Georgian gets the compensation they need.

If you have been injured in Georgia, contact his firm, the Sexton Weldon Law Firm, today to schedule an initial consultation.

Call For A Free Consultation - (470) 693-8777

What Happens If I Cannot Get A Reasonable Settlement Offer From The Insurance Company?

If an insurance company is being unreasonable, you are going to need the help of an attorney. Unfortunately, without an attorney, you might not even realize they are being unreasonable.

For example, if they try to pay your medical bills reduced by what the health insurance has already paid, you might not know you are actually entitled to claim the full value of the cost of treatment, not just what is left after insurance.

By getting an attorney involved who knows the law, you are likely to get a much greater and fairer compensation. If, even with the help of an attorney to lay out the full damages and compensation, you do not get a reasonable settlement offer, your attorney can file a lawsuit to take them to court and get a judge or jury to force them to pay.

This can take a while, as it starts with a full question-and-answer period called discovery, which will take six months to a year before a trial can begin. This can be expensive and daunting but might be worth it as it will pressure the insurance company to settle as well.

Most times the best way to find out to get the optimal possible value for you is to be prepared to go to trial. You’ll get the best offer from an insurance company when they know you are ready and willing to go to trial.

At What Point Should I Hire A Personal Injury Attorney? Should I Wait Until The Insurance Company Denies My Claim Or Offers Settlement?

It is always a good idea to hire an attorney before you give any statements to any insurance company, as they can and will use what you say against you. Additionally, an attorney will offer guidance and advice on immediate concerns even before you are ready to file personal injury claims, such as how to handle property damage and obtain affordable medical care.

That is why you should not delay when it comes to contacting a personal injury attorney.

For more information on Filing A Personal Injury Claim In Georgia, an initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking by calling (470) 693-8777 today.