Failure to Follow Through with Prescribed Treatment
Most of us are familiar with the notes we receive when we leave the doctor’s office. Many of us never actually read them. They get left on the floor of the car to be trampled, go into a file with receipts, get tossed in the junk mail pile, or maybe even make it into the garbage. The trouble is these notes often contain important follow-up instructions. Follow-up notes have never been so important. Read them carefully. If the medical professional who gave them to you made any request that you take further action to help in your recovery, you need to do that. At the very least, it will probably show the date of your next appointment. It’s important to remember that in your post-accident life, you will want to save every piece of paper regarding medical care for your accident injuries. This applies to doctors’ notes, as well as medical bills. Each piece can be considered evidence, and proof of your injuries. It’s also proof of the need for any continuing care, such as occupational therapy, and it helps bolster your injury timeline. If you fail to finish your prescribed course of treatment, whether it involves medications or some type of ongoing therapy, the insurance company will likely use it against you. Don’t put yourself into the frustrating position of helping the insurance company not pay you. Giving a Recorded Statement to the Liable Party’s Insurance Provider
If you haven’t received a call yet from an insurance adjuster looking for a recorded statement, don’t worry. They are not likely to leave you hanging. Unless, of course, we’re talking about hanging you out to dry. You can expect a call not long after you are injured. The adjusters will do their very best to get you talking about your accident and how you’re doing. They may sound genuinely concerned, but they are invariably working up to asking you for a recorded statement. It can be hard to believe, but it’s important to remember that these people are at work. The success of their job depends on their ability to record information about your accident that can be used to devalue your claim. Don’t make this mistake. Insurance companies can sound very authoritative. The fact is, you are under no obligation to speak with them. And the longer you stay on the phone, the more likely it is that they’ll get you to say something that can hurt your case. Chances are, you won’t even see it coming. You may truly feel as though you are helping your case along. What you are probably doing, however, is seriously damaging your case by giving the insurance company information they can use to divert blame and devalue your claim. When the insurance provider calls, your best bet is to let them know politely you do not wish to speak with them and hang up. This is one of many conversations you can and should consider delegating to your Kansas personal injury lawyer. Selecting a Lawyer Who is Not a Good Fit for Your Case
Deciding who will represent your injury claim is probably the single most important decision you will make regarding your case. Assuming all lawyers are the same could cost you thousands at the settlement table. Going to court without a skilled trial lawyer could cost you your entire case. There are many different areas of law, and most lawyers have specializations. You help your case the most when you hire a seasoned trial attorney who has won personal injury cases both in and out of court. The insurance companies know which lawyers are skilled trial lawyers. Realizing who they are up against may drive the insurance provider to the negotiating table so they can avoid taking their chances with your lawyer in court. Our Kansas personal injury lawyers know how to deal with insurance companies, whether in or out of court. We want to fight for your right to compensation. Kansas Personal Injury Client Story
The following story is intended to give you a good sense of some of the main components involved in personal injury cases. The names and circumstances have been changed to protect the privacy of our clients. Make sure you read this to the end. When you’re done, please call us to get free legal advice about your specific case. About eighteen months ago, Vincent Russo was a 24-year-old Wichita native with plans for the future. After high school, Vincent had no idea what he wanted to do with his life. He decided to take a year “off,” working and eventually fell in with a crowd he knew deep down would only lead to trouble. He knew he needed a purpose. The following spring, Vincent volunteered as an after-school tutor at the local community center. It wasn’t long before Vincent realized he had a gift for teaching. Not only did he enjoy it, his students paid attention and began to understand tough homework assignments. Word got around, and Vincent began getting requests from parents to help their kids, too. Vincent ended up tutoring kids through the summer to prepare them for their college entrance exams. By the fall, Vincent knew he was meant to become a teacher. He decided to get his college degree. Five years later, Vincent was in his last semester of college. All that remained of his semester was to wrap up his student teaching assignment. With only two weeks left before graduation, Vincent was looking forward to applying for his dream job teaching high school chemistry in the fall. He hoped he might even teach at the high school he had graduated from. Vincent’s accomplishment was made all the more meaningful by the fact that he was graduating debt-free. Over the previous five years, Vincent embodied a work ethic bordering on super-human, juggling two jobs, his coursework, and now student teaching. And it was all about to pay off. On a sunny day in May, Vincent spent an extra hour helping an 11th grade chemistry student with a lab assignment after school. Now he was rushing to make his shift at a nearby steakhouse, where he’d worked for the last four years. It was going to be tight, but he was confident he could make it, because he’d brought his uniform with him, cleaned and ironed, in the trunk. Knowing Thursdays are lab help days, and he was proud of himself for planning ahead. Not having to swing home to change would save him the time he now needed to not be late. Vincent smiled as he pulled onto West 13th Street North to make his way across town. Everything seemed to be going Vincent’s way as the light at North Broadway turned green before he reached the intersection. He didn’t even have to slow down. As he sailed underneath the light, Vincent instinctively looked right and then left, even though he had the right of way. In the next instant, he was blinded by headlights as a white box truck slammed into the driver’s side of his old Chevy. Vincent doesn’t remember the trip to the hospital that day. He does remember the confusion of waking up in the intensive care unit and not being able to remember his name or understand where he was. He remembers pain. Vincent had undergone spinal fusion because his back was broken in the accident. He also had a broken foot and lots of bruising. He spent the next five days in the hospital. His big sister Theresa and their parents, Sal and Maria took turns at his bedside until Vincent was discharged. On the day Vincent was discharged, his sister found our website and called us to schedule a free consultation for her little brother. Before she got off the phone, Theresa let us know her brother wanted answers to three questions: How long would a personal injury case take, what might it be worth, and most importantly, how much money would he need up front to hire us. We met Vincent at his parent’s house in Rockhurst two days later. This was our first meeting with Vincent and his family, but as soon as we entered his parents’ home, we felt as though we’d known the family for years. The house was filled with the aroma of baked bread and Italian food. Maria may not have been able to fix her son’s injuries, but she could cook. This was a close-knit family of good people that were very worried about their son and brother. How much money do I need to hire a lawyer?
We found Vincent propped against a pile of pillows in the guest room next to the den. As soon as we sat down, he said, “I don’t want to waste your time. I don’t have money for a fancy lawyer. How much would you charge to take my case?” To Vincent’s relief, we assured him that our firm doesn’t charge anything upfront. “Our firm would fund your case from start to finish, covering all costs,” we told him, adding, “We take cases on a contingency basis, so we only get paid if we successfully resolve your case.” “That’s a big relief,” Vincent admitted.