By David Peel
Has an insurance company ever told you, “Don’t hire a lawyer, we will never pay you more?” Some of my clients have heard that before. Fortunately for them, they did not listen. Here are some cases where offers were made before I was hired, and what we eventually received: 1. In a case involving a young lady in a car accident, the at-fault insurance company offered her about $8,700, of which about half would have been required to pay her outstanding medical bills. She would have been left with about $4,700, but had no attorney’s fees. This case settled for $42,000, which (even after attorney’s fees and medicals) should net her close to $25,000. 2. In another matter, a motorcyclist who was not at fault was blamed for the accident. He had about $19,000.00 in bills. He was offered nothing, and had to pay a lot of co pays out of pocket, plus lost wages. A few weeks later, I was able to get the full policy limits of $25,000, and reduce the medical bill reimbursement his health insurance so much that, even after my attorney’s fees, he pocketed over $16,000. 3. In a workers’ compensation matter, an injured client was offered $5,000 before he hired me. Three weeks later, the case settled for almost $30,000.00. He netted out over $20,000. 4. In yet another matter, my client received the ticket, and so was blamed for the accident. The insurance company would not offer one cent as settlement. A trial was held, and we were blessed with a six-figure verdict. While every case is individual and unique, in most cases a good lawyer can add value to a claim. Peel seeks justice for those injured in car accidents, work place incidents, medical malpractice, and nursing homes. He often addresses churches, clubs and groups without charge. Peel may be reached through PeelLawFirm.com wherein other articles may be accessed.
— What do you think? Send Letters to the Editor to [email protected].
