7 Ways To Protect & Increase the Value of Your Personal Injury Claim

If you’ve been hurt in a car accident or slip and fall incident your first concern should be to receive the medical treatment you need to get you back to optimum health.  But because of the many underhanded strategies and tactics of the insurance companies, unfortunately you have to worry about many other things, such as:

• Will your Doctor’s bills get paid?
• Will you get all the money you lost from missing time at work?
• Will you be reimbursed of any out-of-pocket expenses?
• Will your car get fixed without using your money?
• Will you get every single dollar you deserve for your pain and suffering?

These are not imaginary worries.  They’re very real. Why? Because Insurance Companies today are bigger, stronger and more powerful than ever before.  And they use all of their money and power to fight you and your case as hard as they can!!!

My name is John Iannelli.  I am a Personal Injury Trial Lawyer with over 16 years of experience fighting Insurance Companies on behalf of people injured in car accidents and slip and fall incidents.

During that time my job has gotten tougher and tougher because the insurance industry has become more aggressive in their fight to deny you the compensation you rightfully deserve!

As an attorney that specializes in personal injury cases I see first-hand almost every day how insurance companies try and use anything and everything in their power to defeat legitimate personal injury claims.

First, they’ll try to twist and turn the facts of the accident to make it appear as though it was your fault.

If that doesn’t work, then they’ll say you weren’t injured at all, basically telling you right to your face that you’re faking it!  If that doesn’t work, they’ll say your injuries came from everything and anything but the accident!

It just goes on and on and on!

Because the insurance companies come after you and your claim aggressively, I often hear about people receiving less than they should for their personal injury claims.  The main reason:  They fail to “follow through” with their cases.

In today’s hostile environment it’s not enough just to get injured.  You must “follow through” with your claim to receive the maximum compensation you deserve.

Following through means doing some simple things during the course of your claim.  But unless you have an aggressive, knowledgeable personal injury lawyer to help you, you probably won’t know any better especially if this is your first claim!

Some lawyers do not specialize in personal injury cases.  Others that do get lazy.  They don’t realize or they forget that people like you need to be “coached” during the course of you claim.

To make sure you know exactly the things you should and shouldn’t do from the beginning, I’ve prepared this FREE Report to help you “follow through” and help you protect your legal rights.

The following are SEVEN (7) WAYS to help you receive the maximum amount of compensation for your injuries:

(1) Choose the “Right” Lawyer

The first thing you can do to get the most out of your claim is to hire an experience, aggressive lawyer that specializes in personal injury law.  As I said, this is because of the aggressive nature of insurance companies today.

An experienced lawyer is the “Point Man” for your case, the “director” if you will.  He sets the tone and coordinates everything.

When I say hire an “experienced” personal injury lawyer I mean experienced in both fighting insurance companies AND in court!

And when I say “court experience” I don’t just mean experience appearing in a courtroom.  I mean jury trial experience because that’s ultimately where your case may end up.  If you hire a Lawyer that’s inexperienced and/or lacks the courage to do a jury trial, he may try to convince you to settle for less than you should.

(2) Treat with the “Right” Doctors

Treating with the “right” doctors is just as important as choosing the “right” lawyer.  Like some lawyers, some doctors have a lot of experience treating victims of car accidents and slip and fall incidents.

These doctors are usually better equipped to treat your type of injuries than say, your family doctor.  In addition, accident injury doctors usually work with a “network” of other doctors that are injury “specialist”.  He or she may refer you to the specialist if need be.

Your family doctor may or may not be the best choice to provide treatment to you for the injuries you sustained in your accident.  Unless your treating doctor has experience with accident cases, he/she/they could inadvertently do something that could hurt your case.

Another consideration is the doctor’s reputation.

A doctor that has a good reputation with insurance companies and with our courts lends credibility to your claim.  On the other hand, a doctor with a bad reputation can literally destroy your claim. A good, experienced personal injury lawyer knows which doctors to send you to and which ones to stay away from.

If you treat with the “wrong” doctors, the insurance company may reduce their settlement offer to you.

(3) Tell your Doctor “Everything” that Hurts

Your doctor is required to keep accurate and detailed records of your medical history and your treatment.

These records will include your description of how you were injured, your physical complaints, the doctor’s examination findings, your injuries and the treatment you received.

The insurance company will base its offer to you on this critical information.  Therefore, if you fail to tell the Doctor everything that hurts, 2 “bad” things will happen: (1) You not be treated properly; and (2) No one will know about your hidden or “unknown” injury.  You may know about it but no one else will.

And just telling your lawyer is not enough!  You must tell your doctors!

If you first begin to complain to your doctors about some problem weeks or even months after you were hurt, the insurance company will say that the problem was not from the accident.

The result:  They will reduce their settlement offer to you.

(4) Follow Your Doctor’s Orders

You must listen to what your doctors tell you!

If they tell you to get treatment three days a week, but you can only go once a week, you will damage your claim.

Listening to your doctors also includes keeping appointments!  When you “no show” the doctor usually writes that down in your file!

When it comes time for the insurance company to evaluate your claim they will say that if you were truly injured, you would have followed your doctor’s recommendations.

The result:  They will reduce their settlement offer to you.

(5) Keep a Diary to Document Your Injuries and Treatment

One of the most critical pieces of evidence of your pain and suffering is how you felt and how your injuries have affected your ability to function on a daily basis.  A diary helps to provide accurate accounts of your injuries and how they affected you.

A “Personal Injury Dairy” will help you “refresh” your memory when telling your doctors and lawyer what your complaints are.  Also, a Diary will help you if it is necessary for you to talk to the insurance company and/or the insurance company’s lawyer in a deposition about the effect your injuries had on your life.

If you forget some things about your claim, you may damage the value of your claim.

The result:  They will reduce their settlement offer to you.

(6) Be Careful What You Say to the Insurance Company

As I said, the insurance companies are more aggressive today than they ever were.  They will try to use anything and everything you tell them against you.

That’s why it’s important to consult with a lawyer before speaking with any insurance company representative (or anyone for that matter).

And if and when you do speak with them remember one thing: Always tell the truth!  Even a small, little, “white” lie can ruin your credibility and, therefore, ruin your case.

Furthermore, you could be criminally prosecuted for insurance fraud.  The best policy is to always tell the truth.

(7) DO NOT Discuss Your Case with Anyone 

Sometimes insurance company representatives will call you up to ask you questions about your claim.  Some people talk to them thinking that they know what they should and shouldn’t say.  But, unfortunately, more often than not, what they say comes back to haunt them!

They may also try to contact witnesses and your doctors while “fishing” for information. Refer them and all other persons to us and ask your family members, any witnesses and your doctors to do the same.

The only people you should ever, I repeat EVER, talk to about your claim is your lawyer and your doctor(s).

I am confident that if you follow these “7 Ways” you will protect and even increase the value of your claim and get the maximum compensation you deserve for your pain and suffering.

If you need help or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call me.