Do I need a lawyer to handle my car accident case?
When meeting with a potential client at the fee consultation for a car accident personal injury case, we are sometimes asked whether the injured person should hire an attorney or try to handle the case on their own. From the many thousands of cases that Rankin & Gregory have successfully handled, the number of cases that someone would have benefited from handling their own case could be counted on one hand. In fact, Chad and Bill will offer that suggestion in the rare case that it would be appropriate.
As with so many other things in life, personal injury cases resulting from car accidents have become complicated. The injured person’s auto insurance company will provide some benefits; usually at the beginning and at the end of the case. The person who caused the accident and their insurance company are ultimately responsible for all of the injuries and damages that are recoverable by law. The amount of damages recoverable by law is affected by all of the other potential benefits available in a personal injury case. These other potential benefits include, but are not limited to, first party medical and wage loss benefits, short and long term disability, use of vacation and sick time, Medicare, Medicaid, and all health insurance plans. Health insurance companies have become aggressive about getting paid back for any medical expenses that they pay for car accident related care. The attorneys at Rankin and Gregory will make sure that these health insurance companies are entitled to be repaid. Then they will negotiation directly with the health insurance company to reduce the amount of repayment as much as possible.
One of the biggest damages in a car accident personal injury case is the non-economic damages from pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of consortium. It takes an experienced and aggressive lawyer to get the full value out of these damages. Insurance companies will significantly undervalue these damages when dealing directly with the injured party and their family.
Chad Rankin and Bill Gregory have spent decades helping people from Lancaster County who were injured in automobile accidents to navigate the maze of issues surrounding insurance benefits, aggressive insurance adjusters, medical expenses, repayment of health insurance liens, collection notices, lost wages, impairment of future earnings, pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life. Let Rankin and Gregory help you and your family. We pride ourselves on offering small town compassion while getting big city results.
