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I got a call today from a very frustrated caller. She was injured after another car ran a red light and t-boned her vehicle. Unfortunately, she fell into the same trap many fall into after an auto accident - she assumed the insurance company would "take care of everything." After all, that's what the adjuster told her over the phone.
She didn't have health insurance so she contacted the responsible party's insurance company to ask for help with her medical care. A few days later, she got a letter from the insurance company that stated she could go to "any doctor or health care provider of her choosing." She was also told to present her bills to the insurance company after she concluded her treatment. They said they would "be there for her." She didn't consult with a lawyer, so she simply assumed she could go get whatever medical care she wanted, and they'd kindly pay for it. Big mistake! Just because an insurance company says you can choose any health care provider you want doesn't mean they are going to pay for that health care. Their letter was technically correct. She could indeed go to "any provider" she wanted. I asked her, "Does the letter say they will pay for all your bills - no questions asked?" Of course, they didn't say that. So she went and incurred nearly $10,000 of medical care on a soft tissue case (sprains and strains). Now she owes $10,000 to various doctors, and the insurance company for the responsible party has offered her a whopping $500 for her case. They said her medical treatment was excessive and unwarranted. This of course was no shock to me, but she couldn't believe it. Truth be told, her bills were probably far too high, but that's not the lesson here. Here is the lesson: Don't get medical treatment and simply assume the other party's insurance company is going to pay for it. Insurance adjusters rarely accept the medical bills you send them at face value. Remember, their job is to "adjust" your bills (that's why they're called insurance ADJUSTERS.) Here's the big surprise - they ALWAYS adjust your bills downward! Expect them to slash your bills by at least 33% to 50% (sometimes more). So don't go racking up $10,000 in bills and assume they will pay. In fact, you should assume the opposite - assume they WON'T pay. Keep your bills low and reasonable. When in doubt, find other ways to pay for your care so you're not stuck with a stack of bills while fighting with an unreasonable insurance adjuster. If you have health insurance, consider using it. If you have medical payments coverage under your own auto policy, consider using that too. You need to be mindful of your bills. Keep track and periodically ask your health care providers how much your bills are. Don't let the bills get out of control. There is nothing rude or wrong in asking about your bills. Your health care is not an "all you can eat" buffet. It's a good idea to contact a personal injury lawyer and run your questions by them. Don't assume the insurance company is going to pay your bills. You may dig yourself into a financial hole. Talk to an experienced attorney about your options. Feel free to call us at (661) 414-7100 to see if we can help you. Hello everyone! This is Robert Mansour. Today, I wanted to make a brief video about something that happened to me in the past on one of my cases, where it was a very good lesson for subsequent clients that I had. Here is what happened: I had a client who was involved in a moderate car accident, not a very big deal.
Her injuries were not that dramatic. Primarily what we call "soft tissue" injuries - pulled muscles, pulled ligaments, sprain and strain, etc. (things that eventually go away over time with some care and some physical therapy, et cetera.) She was upset with me because I wouldn't guarantee her $250,000 on her case. She thought she was supposed to get $250,000. She had heard about a friend of hers or somebody, a relative that got a lot of money under personal injury case. She thought that was going to happen to her. I told her - I tried to explain to her that the old days when you saw bumper stickers on peoples cars that says, "Hit me. I need the money!" Those days are over. If you don't have a significant injury, do not expect any kind of significant result. Generally speaking, soft tissue cases do not yield very big results. If clients are aware of that, then that's great. If they have unreasonable expectations about their case and they think they're going to get $250,000, that's probably not a very good idea. Here is the thing. You have to have realistic expectations. By the way, she ended up hiring another lawyer who promised her $250,000, and I later learned that her case settled for a few thousand dollars tops. One of the things that you should do is have realistic expectations and realize that the hype of those late night TV commercials and all the promises and the stories you may have heard - many of them might be embellished. There might be the occasional fluke case, where somebody got a huge amount of money for a very minor injury, but those are few and far between. That is the exception to the rule. I hope you found this video to be helpful. If you need more educational information, please visit my website at valencialawyer.com. Thank you very much! Call us at (661) 414-7100. |
Attorney Robert MansourRobert Mansour is an attorney in Santa Clarita, California who has been practicing law since 1993. After working for 13 years for the insurance companies, he now counsels victims of personal injury. Click here to learn more about Robert Mansour. Categories
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