Paul Horton: How Do I Get The Most Money For My Personal Injury Case?

How do I get the most money for my personal injury case? This is a question I frequently hear when I talk with someone who has been in a car accident. The question is justified as there are often past medical bills to pay, future medical bills, and sometimes a lifetime of suffering.

The first issue we have to address is what are the insurance company policy limits? According to Utah law, when you are in a car accident, the other driver is required to have insurance. The insurance of the other driver will have limits on the amount they will pay on behalf of their driver. The limits are typically broken down into separate categories for bodily injury and property damage. For example, in Utah the minimum is $25,000 per person or $65,000 combined for bodily injury. However, the driver may have insurance limits that are much higher, sometimes $100,000 per person or sometimes even a $500,000 combined single limit. Commercial vehicles, such as most semi-trucks, will have insurance limits even higher. It is not unusual to see a $1,000,000 policy or even a $5,000,000 policy.

If the other driver does not have sufficient insurance or have any insurance, another type of claim can be made, which will be addressed elsewhere.

The next step to maximize your recovery by getting the necessary and proper treatment. If your doctor or the ER doctor recommends that you see a specialist, you should do this, even if you don’t have health insurance. We can arrange for financing or liens so that our clients can get the treatment that they need. If you do not follow your doctor’s recommendations, the insurance company might point out that you are being non-compliant.

Sometimes it is also important to get a second opinion. Some doctors can be dismissive of patients who have been involved in car accidents. I have even seen this in the ER. Maybe the doctor or the ER are overwhelmed on that particular day and they just want to get the patient out as soon as possible so they can treat other patients. In those situations, we can help you find a doctor to get a second opinion. It is always better to know now for sure whether or not you have been insured, rather than to find out 5 years later after you have already settled your case.

In addition to these above, there are numerous strategy options that I pursue for my clients to enhance their recovery. Some of these are far too detailed for this blog and some involve complicated legal maneuvers. There is a reason statics show that those clients who have an attorney representing them often have settlements three times higher than those without an attorney.

I just recently help a woman in West Valley City who had been in a car accident. The insurance company offered her nothing at first, as she had gone through an intersection on a yellow light. After a few months of fighting and arguing with the insurance company, I was able to get them to offer their policy limit. Their offer went from $0 to the limit. That is what our office can do for you.

Free Initial Consultation with a Personal Injury Lawyer

It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. Legal problems come to everyone. If you ever have a car crash, or need an Injury Lawyer, call Ascent Law for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.