A Philadelphia injury attorney should be one of the people you trust the most after your injury accident. It’s important to understand who you can completely trust after an accident because you may be out of work, in pain and in need of help. You can certainly trust your insurance agent to pass along your claim for damages, but your agent is merely a representative of an insurance company that is looking to keep costs down as much as possible. The responsibility of your attorney is only to you and ensuring any award you receive is the maximum under the law.
Rely on Your Attorney More Than Your Insurance Agent
You can also rely on an injury attorney to make sure that you take all of the necessary steps to present a full and complete claim to your insurance company. That can include going to a doctor for a medical assessment of your injuries. In some cases, you may be asked to go to a doctor chosen by the insurance company and one picked by your injury attorney. Many insurers use the same physicians over and over and tend to get the information they want to see in medical reports.
Don’t Sign Any Documents Without Approval From Your Attorney
When you rely on your attorney, you are unlikely to make any mistakes that could negatively impact your case. For example, your agent or a lawyer for the insurance company may urge you to sign a document that’s simply necessary to process your claim. A savvy injury attorney will closely examine any documents to ensure there is no fine print that takes away important rights and benefits.
Your Injury Attorney will Assess Any Settlement Offers
It may be difficult to resist a settlement offer, because you want the case to be over with as quickly as possible. But published media reports have shown that many insurers offer a low initial settlement. They’re counting on the fact that you are injured, perhaps out of work, and getting desperate to get some income. That’s when it’s most important to rely on your attorney’s advice. Is the settlement fair under the law? If not, your attorney will probably advise you to have as much patience as possible during negotiations to see if you can get a better outcome.