THE PERSONAL INJURY PROCESS
WHILE YOU ARE TREATING FOR YOUR INJURIES, WE WILL:
ONCE YOU HAVE COMPLETED TREATMENT, WE WILL
AFTER WE RECEIVE AN OFFER, WE WILL
IF YOUR CASE DOESN’T RESOLVE, WE WILL
- Open a claim with the other party’s insurance company and/or your company. All you need to do is focus on the healing process and following the doctor's recommendations. We will deal with the insurance company for the responsible party and help you with your company if you need our assistance.
- Notify MediCal, MediCare and other payers if necessary. MediCal and MediCare have automatic rights to reimbursement when they pay for your health care. Your health insurance company may also have a lien for payments made due to the accident.
- Maintain and manage all aspects of your claim and all communication with insurance adjusters. If you get anything in the mail from anyone regarding your accident, make sure you forward it to us for handling and review.
- Identify all responsible parties.
- Prepare and submit SR1 form for DMV. California requires this in most cases.
- Make sure all relevant documentation is obtained.
- Obtain the police report if necessary. The police report may contain additional helpful information.
- Assist you when necessary with resolution of your property damage claim, such as vehicle repairs, rental car, and other items damaged.
- Be present for a recorded statement by insurance company, if necessary. Most recorded statements will occur in our office.
- Communicate with your treating doctors regarding your progress and recovery.
- We will be available by phone, email, and in person appointments to answer your questions and offer you guidance whenever you need help.
ONCE YOU HAVE COMPLETED TREATMENT, WE WILL
- Gather written records and documents to support your injury claim, including medical records, medical billing and out of pocket expenses. We want to get our hands on all your records and bills so we can review them and best present your case to the insurance company.
- Confirm any medical billing, liens and outstanding expenses owed. In many cases, health care insurance companies have a right to reimbursement. We want to make sure we honor all liens so there are no surprises with your bills.
- Prepare a written statement of your case for settlement negotiations. This is known as the "settlement demand." We will review the demand with you before presenting it to the insurance company.
- Communicate with other party’s insurance adjuster.
AFTER WE RECEIVE AN OFFER, WE WILL
- Provide you with an opinion of settlement offer and explain our reasoning. If we recommend settlement, we will explain why. If we recommend rejecting the offer, we will explain our reasoning and what we recommend from there.
- Conduct settlement negotiations in effort to resolve your claim.
- Negotiate bill reductions with doctors and other medical facilities.
- Negotiate all liens (bills owed to various medical providers) to raise your net recovery.
IF YOUR CASE DOESN’T RESOLVE, WE WILL
- Evaluate your case for litigation and advise you about your options. We will likely have a face to face meeting to discuss the pros and cons of filing a lawsuit. We will examine various scenarios to make sure that filing a lawsuit is the prudent thing to do. We know most of our client want to avoid litigation (and so do we), so we will make that decision together.
- File your lawsuit, if necessary.
- Represent you and present your case at trial.
