Keep Fighting? Hire attorney? Settlement?

[emartin890]

What is the name of your state? Georgia
Hello,
Have not posted in a few months trying to work on my own to get a settlement.
Summary.. Accident 4/22/04
Injuries
8 broken ribs, Thoracic whiplash,Bulging discs l3-4,l4-5 Possible rotator cuff tear( MRI TODAY) In pain constant in the back and shoulder and arm.. in Pain management for the epidurals.. Future treatments will be needed Take pain pills to function..
Sent a demand letter for policy limit in July
Company offered me 31k Friday.. My medical bills so far are 25k and have 2 more epidurals in the thoracic this week and Mri todayon the shoulder.
I know my case is worth more than this.. I am willing to come down some from the 100k policy limit, but no way to 31k..
Accident was 100% other persons fault.. My medical records clearly show that none of these injuries were there prior.. Have Mri before and after as documentation..
I know first offer is a lowball but I guess I am asking for wisdom of the adjusters and lawyers here what my likelyhood of getting them up to around the 60k figure is.. Or should I just hire the attorney right now and go after all of it..
Need some help and Thanks in advance..

 

[master718]

I would check out <a href="http://www.listowl.com">ListOwl.com</a>.&nbsp;
they have a pretty good directory of lawyers.

 

[emartin890]

I would check out <a href="http://www.listowl.com">ListOwl.com</a>.&nbsp;
they have a pretty good directory of lawyers.

Master718,
I already have a good Attorney on standby and would like to get the company offer as high as I can before I ACTUALLY hire him for the case.
But Thanks for the website..

 

[klhofbauer]

Well,

In 1994, I had the torn rotator cuff, plus the xrays ended up showing that I had bone fragments in my left shoulder from the seatbelt (due to the drunk who rear-ended me). Everything else was okay with me

I got ONLY $48,000 - after my hospital, Dr. and the attorney took their share - I ended up with 17K.

I don't know about you.. but, 11 years later, there are times when my left shoulder just aches. Not the throbbing "head-achy" type of pain.. just a dull "this needs one of those nice massages".

It took 18 months to settle for me.. What does your attorney say? Mine wanted to settle in the 30's.. I said no, finally at the 48K, my attorney told me that unless I wanted a jury trial, then I would have had to settle, as their insurance company refused to go any further.

Good luck.

 

[litltexas]

Settlement

You don't want to settle until your healed or finished with treatments.

I too am handling my own case and my Demand Letter was for the full extent of the policy. I had to have back surgery because I was hit by a drunk driver and may have to have another surgery. I'm getting close to the 2 year mark and hadn't had a response after two months. I contacted the Insurance Commision and right away the adjuster called me.

I have had to go on Disability Retirement now and I will fight till the end for the full policy limits. Sounds like you should too. You sound like you were hurt and will have problems down the road with your injuries.

I plan to file suit on my own if the insurance company doesn't give me the full policy limits. I have $80K worth of medical bills and then there's lost wages and pain and suffering. I have worked with the health insurance company and gotten some of the subrogation down but I'm seeing an attorney that will let me pay by the hour for him to get it lower for the pay back.

Don't give up and remember the insurance company normally....normally gives you three offers.