I'm Jeanne riddle of riddle and Brantly today I would like to share some information that will help you in the coming weeks we will answer your call 24 hours a day seven days a week if you can't come to us we'll be happy to come to you when justice counts put us to work we'll help make things right we've helped thousands of people like the client you just saw who don't know what to do after an injury when you've been involved in an accident the investigating officer identified the drivers and obtained insurance information the officer completed an accident report which was filed with the DMV most likely it is included in your package you are the claimant that's because you may have a claim for personal injuries and property damage shortly after an accident the other drivers insurance company will open a claim file the adjuster will contact you about your injuries your property damage or both the adjuster works for the insurance company not you his job is to save the insurance company money he has absolutely no responsibility to you several years ago a nationally televised news show featured a story on the insurance industry it highlighted one of the country's largest insurance companies one that writes numerous policies in North Carolina as the ex insurance adjusters were interviewed they told how they were trained to earn your trust according to these ex adjusters their company manual told them to tell claimants they don't need an attorney the adjuster may tell you the lawyer will get all the money and the case will take forever to be resolved that's just not true your lawyer will not get all the money most law firms including ours charge one-third of the recovery for personal injuries as a fee if we got all the money we wouldn't have any clients and if we don't recover a settlement for you you pay us no attorney fees there is some truth to the point that cases can take time to be resolved however this is in your best interest our team will first make sure you know the extent of your injuries before you settle your claim and this takes time many insurance companies want to quickly settle your claim when all of your injuries may not be known if you accept a quick settlement you're doing yourself an injustice you may find months later that you need further medical treatment or you have permanent injuries that were not noticeable right after the accident then what will you do if you've already accepted the insurance company settlement you may have to pay out of your pocket the real reason adjusters don't want you to seek legal advice is because claimants who hire lawyers generally receive two to four times more money than claimants who settle directly with the insurance company even the insurance industry's research backs this up now you can understand why adjusters don't want you to know what I'm telling you there are three reasons you should get legal advice the first is your claims value personal injury claims include medical expenses lost wages pain and suffering scarring and permanent injury the second reason you need solid legal advice is the complicated nature of personal injury and traffic laws in North Carolina we have a law called contributory negligence under this law if the injured person is slightly it fought in the wreck he or she can't recover anything the adjuster handling your claim knows this law and he'll look for reasons to pay you nothing I advise you not to talk to an adjuster without first consulting with a lawyer most importantly don't let the adjuster record your statement without legal help any recorded statements can and will be used against you the third reason you need legal advice is because your claim may involve legal issues about underinsured and uninsured motorist coverage you need sound legal advice to make the right decisions let me share some other information that you might find helpful the first topic is property damage if your vehicle was damaged or totaled in the wreck you'll have a property damage claim if it can be repaired the insurance company will be responsible for paying those repairs as well as paying for a rental vehicle the responsible insurance company should pay each day you cannot drive your wrecked vehicle if you borrow a car from a family member or friend you could still be paid for the cost of a rental vehicle another point under property is loss of value in North Carolina if the damage to your vehicle exceeds 25% of its total value you're required to disclose this information when you sell or trade your vehicle your vehicles value decreases even if the repairs are excellent as a result you'll have a loss of value claim also called depreciation another consideration is medical payment coverage this coverage usually comes on your own automobile policy in the amounts of one thousand two thousand or five thousand dollars this coverage has nothing to do with the liability aspect of your claim but its coverage that you've paid for and you're entitled to receive some people don't even know what it is but they've paid for it our firm makes sure you get it another suggestion is that you act in a timely manner soon after the wreck someone needs to identify and interview witnesses and the investigating officer our firm has our own investigators who have many years of experience investigating accidents they contact the investigating officers as soon as possible after the wreck to ensure no details are forgotten for example if the other driver admitted responsibility for the accident at the scene the officers memory of any statements may strengthen your claim our firm also recommends that you take photos of your vehicle both inside and out our investigators will examine your vehicle thoroughly to make sure all damage is photographed but your own pictures will help to our firms investigators take photos of the scene of the accident as well be sure to take photos of any bodily injuries you suffered as soon as possible to prove that you're injured you must also seek medical attention in a timely manner any delay in seeing a doctor may be seen by an adjuster as proof that you're not hurt or caused the adjuster to reduce the value of your claim you need to give your doctor a complete and accurate account of what happened be precise and honest don't exaggerate tell the doctor about all of your injuries not just the major ones it's important that all of this information is in your medical records if those injuries are not recorded by a medical provider until later the insurance adjuster will question whether they are related to the accident there are other things you can do to help your case I suggest that you keep a diary in it describe your pain explaining the progress of your treatment and recovery your notes should include important dates such as the first day you can dress yourself without help or the first day you return to work after the accident next keep receipts for every expense you incur as a result of the accident these receipts will help to document the value of your claim again I caution you don't rush into any settlement insurance adjusters want to settle each case quickly usually too quickly for your benefit within days of your accident insurance adjusters often knock on your door they may ask you to accept a check and sign a release and return for the check they may promise to keep your medical bills open for a year read the release forms carefully in them you'll notice the phrase reasonable medical expenses the catch is the insurance company decides what's reasonable not you not your doctor don't sign anything and here's why people who've been in an accident sometimes learn weeks or months after the accident that they need surgery or have permanent injuries but if you've already signed a release you're stuck now more than ever you need professional legal advice and experience so let's review some important things to consider when choosing a lawyer first you need someone you can trust our team will review your case thoroughly to see if you need legal help second you need a lawyer who makes you feel comfortable because you'll be sharing personal information about your work in medical history your lawyer will need this information to help you third you want a lawyer who's accessible to you if you're having trouble reaching your lawyer now you may have more difficulty reaching him once he's handling your case our client policy is for each employee to return your call within 24 business hours most importantly you need a lawyer who gives you confidence and one who's experienced in personal injury and traffic law when talking to a lawyer or firm ask how many cases they've tried in court that's a good sign of their experience many cases are settled out of court in fact most of our cases are settled out of court however some firms don't try any cases insurance companies know which law firms these are and hiring a lawyer without trial experience could hurt your case we approach every case as if it's headed to court that is why we place so much emphasis on investigating your accident by preparing each case as if it's going to trial we have more negotiating power with the insurance company our firm is well known for working with personal injury cases all across the state we handle a wide variety of cases including auto accidents workers compensation or on-the-job injuries and Social Security claims we also have an attorney who is certified by the State Bar as a specialist in workers compensation thank you for your time when justice counts put us to work we'll help make things right