I was rear ended at the end of march in the township of Columbia Station. I was slowing down for traffic ahead in a dodge shadow (almost sto...

Question

I was rear ended at the end of march in the township of Columbia Station. I was slowing down for traffic ahead in a dodge shadow (almost stopped) when I was hit by a ford ecoline 350 going 35 mph. The impact made me hit my neck on the headrest and lose my glasses to the backseat.....from what i could see i managed to pull my car to the side of the road. A witness came over to see if I was okay and just had me lay my head back because I complained of pain. I was taken by ambulance to the hospital where I was released that same day but told to go home and rest the next few days....i missed 30 hours of work.....8 regular pay and 22 over time. I went to the chiropractor about two weeks later and found out I have a cervical injury from the accident. I went to the chiropractor for about 3 months and now I feel fine but I'm not sure if I am back to normal completely. I am just wondering how much I should settle for. I have about $9000 in bills. Also the guy that hit me was drunk and my car was totaled

Answer

The formula that the insurance companies use to settle personal injury cases is to multiply your medical expenses by 3, then add lost work, etc. This is an industry standard but does change depending on certain facts. By your estimates a good settlement could be $27-30,000 but no insurance company will just hand that to you without you being represented. My guess is that they will offer you $10-12000...

You have a case that most attorneys would work on a contingency basis and they would do all the work: and there is plenty of work to do. You sure would make it really easy on yourself if you just hired a lawyer. You won't save any money trying to do this yourself and there are many pitfalls that the insurance company could take advantage of you. Please call me directly and I will help you with this. There is no need to do this yourself. 216.952.1990.

Answer

When dealing with insurance companies it is highly advisable to be represented by an attorney. Without legal representation insurance companies commonly offer low-ball, take-it-or-leave-it type of offers. Legal representation allows you to apply leverage - the threat of a lawsuit, which is costly to defend - when dealing with an insurance company. Without that leverage, insurance companies don't need to give you a fair offer.

Consult with a person injury attorney in your area. He or she will work on a contingency fee basis, which means they won't bill hourly, nor will they charge you any type of up-front fee. They will get paid based on a percentage of your recovery. If you have questions, I am available at 937-642-1819.