Following a serious accident, the injured party will be contacted by the defendant’s insurance company relatively soon after the incident. Very often, victims are unsure how to respond to the adjuster’s inquiries and are overwhelmed by the process. The goal of this series is to provide guidance for victims and their families when working with the insurance companies. Another goal is to explain the role of legal counsel acting on your behalf following an injury and to provide information to help you choose an attorney to represent your interests. If you or someone you love has been seriously injured, we suggest contacting an attorney as soon as possible.
This series will discuss several important subjects, including:
It is essential to understand these topics if you have been injured in an accident. First, a defendant’s insurance company will be in contact with you following the incident. The adjuster’s job is to minimize the damage to their client and reach a quick settlement of the case. One can imagine that this is not aligned with the victim’s interests. Engaging counsel quickly to respond on your behalf is important to preserving your rights. Second, depending upon the severity of the injuries sustained, it may take a significant amount of time to reach a long-term medical prognosis or estimation of damages. It may be tempting to accept an early settlement, but may not be in your best interest. Third, given the potential length of time a case may take, it is imperative that your legal representation have the resources necessary to continue working on the case before a settlement is reached. Last, some firms are willing to work through the settlement process but are not equipped to take a case to trial if the settlement negotiations are unsuccessful. This may result in inefficiencies, delays and higher legal fees.
If you or someone you love have been in an accident, we recommend contacting qualified counsel as soon as possible. We suggest retaining a law firm with multiple attorneys who are Board Certified in Personal Injury Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. The firm should have on-staff resources to act quickly to conduct an investigation of the matter and to access the necessary experts to support your case. These suggestions are applicable in Fort Worth, Dallas, and other areas of Texas.