Posted in Car Accident on July 6, 2018
If you were recently hurt in an auto accident that wasn’t your fault, you need compensation for your accident-related expenses, including your medical bills and lost wages. Civil complaints against other parties, whether they’re individual drivers, corporate entities, or even governmental bodies, allow victims like you an opportunity to get money for the damages you incurred as a result of your accident.
But the biggest obstacle standing in your way of getting the money you deserve is the insurance company. The insurance industry in America is the largest in the world, and there are many insurers throughout the country who make record profits year after year. That’s because insurance companies have found ways to either reduce victims’ payouts or deny them completely, leaving innocent people fending for themselves after serious accidents, injuries, and illnesses that weren’t their fault.
At Matt Hardin Law, our Nashville auto accident attorneys don’t think that’s fair. Multi-billion-dollar corporations shouldn’t put their profits above the suffering of people like you—especially when you don’t have any experience with the legal system or civil claims. That’s where we come in. When you call us, you’ll get access to 30 years of legal representation and advocacy that resulted in big settlements for clients just like you.
Don’t accept the insurance company’s reduction or denial of your claim, and don’t let the money you deserve go uncollected. Get in touch with us today to find out how we can put our experience to work for you and your loved ones. Call us at (615) 200-1111 or fill out a free online contact form. We’re ready to get to work for you.
We’re Here to Help You Preserve Your Rights to Compensation
Insurance companies don’t make big profits year after year by paying victims the money they deserve. In fact, they employ teams of adjusters whose primary job is to find ways to reduce or deny payments to victims like you. And when victims pursue compensation on their own, they often face uphill battles when it comes to getting paid, as they may be dealing with a civil claim for the first time, while the adjuster has years of experience.
It’s important to level the playing field by getting an attorney on your side who knows the tricks of the trade and can stay one step ahead of the insurance company from day one. When you call us, we’ll work to protect your rights by:
One of the first things insurance companies do is pin fault for an accident on the victim. Because car accidents are rarely cut-and-dry events where one party is 100-percent to blame and the other party was 100-percent innocent, insurance companies can twist the facts and use legal and technical jargon to catch victims off guard and make them think their claims are invalid. Our attorneys will collect evidence from the crash scene, as well as police reports, witness statements, and even traffic camera footage to make sure the insurance company can’t make false statements that jeopardize your chances of getting compensation.
Sometimes something as simple as a phone call or email is enough for a victim to lose money or even the chance to pursue compensation entirely. That’s because insurance adjusters are adept at asking seemingly innocent questions that are designed to elicit statements that can be used against victims, including admissions of guilt or fault for accidents. When we take over your claim, we’ll handle all phone calls, emails, and letters while you focus on getting better.
Even after we take over all communication with the insurance company, adjusters will still be on the lookout for missteps that they can use against you. It’s not unheard of for adjusters to “spy” on victims by snooping on social media accounts or even speaking with friends, family members, coworkers, and other associates. We’ll help you navigate these potential pitfalls while we work hard on getting you the money you deserve.
Insurance companies are skeptical of virtually all claims by default. When you say that you were injured in a car accident, the adjusters will assume that the accident wasn’t as bad as you say and that your injuries were caused by something else that was your fault. The system is set up for the burden of proof to be on the victims, and it’s difficult for many injured people to fight against those biases and stereotypes. We’ll collect medical records and even interview expert witnesses to prove beyond a doubt the origin and severity of your injuries.
Sometimes, insurers make reasonable offers for victims right away. But that can be exceptionally rare. In most cases, insurers offer victims lowball settlements that are appealing when money is tight right now, but that are quickly revealed to be insufficient for long-term crash-related expenses. To make matters worse, victims typically forfeit their chances to pursue additional compensation after accepting initial settlements. We’ll review all settlement offers with you to make sure they’re fair for what you’ve experienced.
Avoiding a lowball initial settlement offer is a good start for getting the money you deserve, but it doesn’t always mean you’ll get a favorable outcome. It’s also important to determine exactly how much your injuries will cost you over the coming weeks, months, and years. Some injuries require ongoing treatment, including physical rehabilitation and surgeries, and they may cost you your career. The cost of such injuries can be enormous, but victims may not always be aware of that when they’re focused on paying for immediate expenses. We’ll find out exactly how much you’re owed, and we’ll fight to get it for you.
Sometimes insurance companies will be cooperative or concede when confronted with overwhelming evidence, but they’ll force victims to wait for long periods of time before resuming communication or sending them their checks. That’s because they count on some victims giving up and allowing their settlements to fade or the statutes of limitations on their accidents expiring. Talking to a reluctant insurer and its team of adjusters can be frustrating, but we know how to get through to them and make them move forward on finalizing your claim and sending you the money you deserve.
Civil claims rarely end up in court, including auto accident claims, truck accident claims, and motorcycle accident claims. Even the most stubborn insurance companies usually concede and pay victims settlements when they have legal teams on their side with plenty of evidence showing the other party’s negligence. But sometimes insurance companies won’t play ball and they’ll outright refuse to pay innocent victims like you. When that happens, we won’t give up. In fact, we’ll become even more aggressive in our pursuit of the compensation you need—and that means taking the case to trial.
