How much of a insurance settlement should I be entitled to?
I was a passenger in my friends truck when he lost control of the vehicle. I woke up face down in the dirt with a truck on my back, I had to flown by helicopter to a hospital an hour away.I had a separated shoulder ac joint which had to operated on, a cracked vertabrate, a collapsed lung, and a couple of broke ribs.I am a self-employed landscaper, and will at least miss out on 12 weeks of work, as of now I have pretty much lost all of my clients. And not real for sure if I will every be able to be as strong, and physically active as I was pre-wreck. As of now my medical bills are near 50,000. I am not trying to get rich but, I want a fair settlement, plus my future in my chosen occupation is somewhat uncertain. Please someone with knowledge on this kind of matter give me some insight.
September 24th, 2011 at 4:36 am
If your state has PIP, that will pay for some or all of your past and future medical bills and any private insurance you have should pick up the rest. I don’t know enough about the case to say if you have a suit against one or both drivers or have a UM claim you could make against your own insurance co if their insurance collectively is not high enough to cover your losses but an atty could tell you
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September 24th, 2011 at 6:37 am
Your best insight well come from a lawyer. He the best person to ask about what you are entitled too.
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September 24th, 2011 at 8:36 am
Hire an attorney. They will be able to get you a fair deal. You recover your medical bills, lost wages, etc.
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September 24th, 2011 at 10:36 am
Go for the gold.
If you live and can tell it, sue.
My brothers ex girlfriend, sued my mother, when my brother slammed into a mountain straight head on.
Back then $25,000 was a million, but her mother took the money and bought a house and TV.
Usually there’s a limit a policy will pay and or a state will allow and then there’s the greedy lawyer.
You have to prove how much you are worth. they have it all figured out, before you step into their office.
but definately request for future health care, that cost the most in the long run.
My daughter in law is getting money for life. On her birthday every December, she was 8yrs old when she saw her 2yr old sister get ran over by a ice cream truck. right over her head.!
Poor girl is so sweet. But is terrified of police cars, because they put her into the car to find and identify the man with the towel on his head, that took off running in the ice cream truck.
She has therapy periodically and they pay for it. She has flash backs.
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September 24th, 2011 at 1:36 pm
You had substantial injuries, you lost wages, you have significant medical costs. A personal injury injury lawyer’s dream. You obviously have some permanent damage as a result of your injuries. And again, you will obviously need a good lawyer. And just for your information as a passenger, you will likely be contacted by your friend’s insurance company looking to settle after a certain period of time. That is because you had nothing to do with the accident (were not the driver). Do not talk with any insurance carrier about settlement. The carriers will offer you something of course, but they usually lowball you. And if you settle early they are likely to have you sign a release of some sort so that you cannot sue them/
But you are not sure how bad the injuries are anyway nor are you sure if you have any permanent damage.
No one here can offer any information regarding a “fair settlement”.
All of your medical bills should be taken care of by your friend’s insurance carrier. or for that matter, if his coverage is not big enough, they might seek to dip into YOUR insurance if your bills are as large as they may turn out to be. (That is to say if you yourself have car insurance)
The best thing to do at this juncture is to contact and hire a good attorney.
(And make sure you get an honest one)
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September 24th, 2011 at 4:35 pm
For years and years, something in the neighborhood of 3 times the amount of your medical bills was considered a fair deal where I am. But insurance companies these days are very stingy, and don’t want to come off a penny more than they have to. You’ve been through a lot, and you don’t want to get screwed over on this. You’re talking about pain and suffering, medical bills, lost wages, and possible future lost wages if you end up in a line of work with less income potential. In other words, you really do need a lawyer. But bear in mind that the insurance company is not obligated to pay more than the policy limits. Generally speaking, if the policy limits are less than the bills, you either end up eating the rest or suing the person for the remainder – and that may or may not be feasible depending on his personal finances. I hope he has a decent policy. Good luck!
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