Call anytime: 661-414-7100 or text 661-249-9990
Santa Clarita Car Accident Attorneys - Call (661) 414-7100
  • Home
  • About
    • Client Reviews
    • Fees and Policies
  • Cases We Handle
    • Car Accidents
    • Motorcycle Accidents
    • Pedestrian Accidents
    • Bicycle Accidents
    • Brain Injury Cases
    • Wrongful Death
    • Spinal Cord Injuries
    • Estate Planning
  • Resources
    • Videos
    • Blog
    • Library
    • FAQ
  • FREE CASE EVALUATION
  • Contact
    • ZOOM VIDEO
  • Home
  • About
    • Client Reviews
    • Fees and Policies
  • Cases We Handle
    • Car Accidents
    • Motorcycle Accidents
    • Pedestrian Accidents
    • Bicycle Accidents
    • Brain Injury Cases
    • Wrongful Death
    • Spinal Cord Injuries
    • Estate Planning
  • Resources
    • Videos
    • Blog
    • Library
    • FAQ
  • FREE CASE EVALUATION
  • Contact
    • ZOOM VIDEO

Law Office of Robert Mansour

Blog

Don't get too preoccupied with your property damages

7/30/2012

 
Sometimes, when clients first call me, I can sense they are very worried about one thing - "How am I going to fix my car?" They worry about losing their car, not getting enough money for it, not having a rental vehicle, paying their deductible, not getting answers from the responsible person's insurance company etc. Some take the loss of their car very personally - some people even personify their vehicle. In some cases, they have actually named their car! They'll say things like, "I don't know what I'm going to do without my Baby Girl!"

If this is the focus of the first phone call, my alarms go off. In some cases, the clients are SO focused on their property damage claim that they lose focus of what's really important - their bodily injury! They are SO worried about who is going to pay for their property damage, how they are going to get a rental, etc.

At face value, I certainly understand their concerns. There is nothing wrong with being concerned about these issues. However, here is the lesson of this blog post - Don't get so carried away with your property damage woes that you lose sight of the bigger concern which is any bodily injury you suffered. If you don't take care of your bodily injury claim and focus solely on property damage, you may actually be shooting yourself in the foot.

It is understandable if you are worried about your property damage claim. I understand that. Property damage claims are never fun. But if you haven't sought any medical treatment in over two weeks, you may have lost your chance at a bodily injury claim. Assume you get short-changed on your property damage claim. If you present your bodily injury claim appropriately, you might recover enough to help bridge any shortfall on the property damage issue. By only focusing on your property damage claim, you risk mismanaging your bodily injury claim. Now you've lost twice - on your property damage claim AND your bodily injury claim! Try to think "big picture" when it comes to your personal injury case.

Therefore, while handling your property damage claim, don't lose sight of the other (and sometimes more valuable) component of your claim - bodily injury.

Santa Clarita Attorney Releases Personal Injury Handbook

7/15/2012

 
I decided to take the top questions I get regarding personal injury and accident cases and put them all into a booklet entitled "Personal Injury Question & Answer Handbook." Topics addressed include how to take photos of the damage to your car, when to see the doctor, how to handle insurance adjusters, who will fix your car, who will pay for your medical bills and much more. You can download the PDF of the book by clicking on "Free Book" from the main menu or by clicking here. I serve Santa Clarita, Castaic, Saugus, Canyon Country, Valencia, Newhall, Stevenson Ranch and surrounding areas.

Knee Surgery from a Car Accident

7/13/2012

 
I recently handled a case where my client suffered a tremendous injury to her knee from the car accident. She was a passenger in a vehicle that was rear-ended with such force that her seat was crushed from behind, forcing her knee into the front passenger seat. The trauma caused her tremendous pain. She started treating with a chiropractor but at some point it became clear to her and the chiropractor that there was only so much he could do. Her knee became progressively worse as the weeks passed. It started affecting her job which required lots of standing and walking. Eventually, she had to have knee surgery to correct the problem.

While the surgeon was successfully able to complete the surgery, she still doesn't feel the same. The truth is once you have major surgery to your knee or other part of your body, you might technically have had a successful surgery but many clients report feeling residual injury to some extent. My client continues to have some pain in her knee and on some days, it swells and she needs to put her feet up for a while. Residual injury can affect the value of your personal injury case. If you've suffered severe trauma to your knee in an accident, make sure you see an orthopedic surgeon for a full assessment of your condition. You want to make sure you catch the injury early before you walk too much and inflict further injury upon your knee.

Insurance Companies Will Use Treatment Gaps Against You.

7/3/2012

 
When I was a defense lawyer for a major insurance company, one of the first things we looked for when defending personal injury claims was "gaps" in treatment.  That means, we would look at every single date of treatment and try to find "gaps" of 10 days or more.  Sometimes, we'd see gaps of 2 weeks or much more.  We would use those against the person making the claim.  Also, we would look to see when treatment commenced after an accident.  We would sink our teeth into delays of over 10 or more days.  Why do insurance companies use gaps in treatment and delay in commencement in treatment against you?  Because they want to minimize your case.  They will argue, "Well, if you were REALLY hurt, you wouldn't have waited 2 weeks to get treatment."  Or they might say, "Well, if you were in any REAL pain, you would have treated more regularly without missing appointments etc." 

The insurance companies will do anything they can to minimize your claim.  My clients are often surprised by this tactic.  My clients will say, "Well, I couldn't get in to see the doctor for a long time" or "I couldn't get a physical therapy appointment for a month..."  The excuses are legitimate and understandable, but that doesn't mean insurance companies will be easy on you or "understanding."  They simply don't care.  They will use it against you because at the end of the day, they aren't really interested in compensating you.  They are interested in minimizing their losses.  Therefore, the lesson here is to commence treatment as soon as possible after an accident, even if you only suspect an injury.  You don't want to take chances.  Also, once you start treatment, be diligent about your health care and follow up visits.  In all fairness, there are some insurance adjusters who do understand there are sometimes legitimate reasons for delays in treatment, but most of them won't see the big picture.

    Categories

    All
    Attorneys
    Basic Speed Law
    Case Value
    Comparative Negligence
    Compensation
    Damages
    Disc Injuries
    Fear Of Driving
    Hip Injuries
    Hit And Run Accidents
    Injuries
    Insurance Adjusters
    Insurance Adjusters
    Insurance Companies
    Knee Injuries
    Lawyers
    Liability Insurance
    Liens
    Lost Earnings
    Medical Expenses
    Medical Expenses
    Medical Payments Coverage
    Medical Treatment
    Meeting With Your Lawyer
    Neck Fractures
    Pedestrian
    Personal Injury
    Photos
    Physical Therapy
    Police Reports
    Property Damage
    Proposition 213
    Psychological Effects
    Rotator Cuff Injuries
    Santa Clarita
    Seatbelts
    Self Help
    Settlement
    Settling
    Shoulder Injuries
    Social Media
    Social Security Numbers
    Speed Limit
    Statute Of Limitations
    Types Of Accidents
    Um Coverage
    Underinsured Motorist Coverage
    Uninsured Motorist
    Uninsured Motorist Coverage
    Value Of Injury Case

    Archives

    September 2022
    June 2022
    September 2020
    February 2020
    November 2019
    September 2019
    May 2019
    October 2018
    June 2018
    February 2018
    November 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011

    by Robert Mansour

    Robert Mansour is a personal injury lawyer serving Santa Clarita, Valencia, Saugus, Canyon Country, Newhall, Stevenson Ranch, Castaic and surrounding communities.

 Home | Attorney Profile | Practice Areas | Client Reviews | Personal Injury Blog | Personal Injury Library | FAQ 
 Videos | Directions | Google Maps | Disclaimer | Contact Us

Visit our Google Business Page | Like Us on Facebook | Our Yahoo! Business Listing | Follow Us on Twitter  
Linked In Profile | Please give us a great review on Yelp | Our YouTube Channel | BrandYourself Profile
FAQ RSS Feed |  Blog RSS Feed | Library RSS Feed | Our Bing Local Business Listing | Cornell University Listing

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm.  By appointment.  If you are trying to reach us after hours or on the weekends, the best way is to use the form on the "Contact" page or simply send an email to info@valencialawyer.com

* The information on this website does not create an attorney/client relationship.  It is not legal advice and is presented for general informational purposes only.  Always consult with a professional when handling legal matters as the law is constantly changing.

Law Office of Robert M. Mansour, 28212 Kelly Johnson Pkwy #110, Santa Clarita, CA 91355 (661) 414-7100
Picture