Over the years, the law firm of Smock and Etling has handled product liability, medical malpractice and personal injury cases including automobile accidents, dog bites, and slip and fall cases. The firm takes great pride in putting their combined experience to work for clients injured as a result of the negligence of another person or corporation. Initially, the firm will attempt to negotiate with the insurance company to reach a settlement that will fully compensate the client for their loss. However, if the insurance company is unwilling to provide full and adequate compensation, the firm will not hesitate to file suit and, if necessary, take your case to trial.
If you are in an accident and you are injured, it is important that you contact an attorney as soon as possible. It is no secret that the insurance adjustor on the other side of the case will attempt to take your recorded statement at the first opportunity. You should never give a recorded statement without first contacting a lawyer. Insurance companies use recorded statements to their advantage when an unsuspecting victim accidentally forgets to include something important in their statement. The insurance adjustor on the other side may try to get you to settle sooner, rather than later, in an effort to minimize the amount of the settlement. To say the least, you should almost never settle a personal injury case before you are done treating with your doctor. The adjustor will also require you to sign a release of all claims, if you settle your case, which means if something comes up later, you will not be able to collect from the insurance company as you will have already released the insurance company from any and all additional liability.
A personal injury claim is based on the legal theory of negligence. Negligence generally means that a person has failed to exercise reasonable care not to injure those people around him. A person that does not exercise reasonable care and causes somebody to become injured is guilty of negligence if his actions proximately caused the injuries complained of by the party bringing a claim. Examples of negligence include, but are not limited to, causing an automobile accident or causing someone to become injured on your property by failing to maintain it in a reasonably safe manner.
The victim of a personal injury is, by law, entitled to collect monetary damages for present and future medical expenses related to the accident, lost wages, loss of earning capacity, pain and suffering, and future pain and suffering. Without the assistance of a lawyer, it is unlikely you will achieve maximum recovery. Again, it is important if you are injured in an accident that you contact an attorney immediately.