Don’t ever buy insurance with a family exclusion. Here’s how it worked for a recent client of mine: Mom was driving, didn’t pay attention to the slippery conditions of a Maryland winter, and her car slid into oncoming traffic. Her vehicle was totaled, and more devastatingly, one of her twins…
Insurance is an interesting thing. You pay regularly (monthly, or semi-annually) to protect your family when they get hurt, and to protect other people that you may accidentally hurt. However, many of our clients are steadfast in their efforts to avoid using their own car insurance at any cost, fearing…
Every now and then we get a call from someone who has been slugging it out with the insurance company on their own in an effort to save legal fees and handle it themselves. These calls often come at the time that negotiation is wrapping up because the callers want…
An Authorization and Assignment (frequently abbreviated as an “A&A,” or called a “letter of protection,”) happens when a medical provider agrees to hold off on collections proceeding until after a personal injury case is resolved (whether by way of settlement or a verdict). Sometimes, this is the only way to…
Frequently, new clients ask me where they should go to the doctor. I give the usual disclaimer—I’m a lawyer, not a doctor (it’s a reverse Leonard McCoy, M.D.). But, I can offer suggestions. My preference is for clients to find their own medical providers, typically through their health insurance. The…
Pre-settlement loans are the scourge of plaintiffs’ lawyers for a couple of reasons. The first is that they take so much time—shepherding an application from beginning to end, working out details of the money transfer, and making it all happen in time to help the client with the financial emergency…
I saw a generic internet article about what not to say to your insurance company. It dealt with all types of insurance claims, but there are a few things it got right for auto claims. Here is what you should remember: Apologizing: be careful saying you are sorry after an…
When an auto case settles, or after the judge or jury give a verdict in your favor, the insurance company will send your lawyers a check. Your lawyers will ask your permission to sign your name to the check, and they will deposit it in an escrow account. The escrow…
An automobile accident can turn your life upside down. There’s so much to do–find reliable transportation, get to the doctor, deal with insurance companies, and survive missed work. The easiest way to know if you have a claim is to consult with a lawyer–don’t let the insurance company convince you…
So your lawyer made a claim to the insurance company, and the case didn’t settle. Cases don’t settle for several reasons, including: The insurance company denies liability, thinking that their driver wasn’t at fault The insurance company believes that you were at fault for the collision The insurance company thinks…