When you get behind the wheel, the last thing you expect is an auto accident. While motor vehicle collisions occur daily, a serious accident can profoundly impact your life. Car accidents can cause severe injuries, permanent disability, and unexpected financial stress. But you don’t have to face the aftermath of a collision alone.
At Hutzler Law, we are here to help guide you or someone you car about who has been a victim of injury caused by the careless or negligent actions of another driver. Our Chandler car accident attorneys can assist you by:
- handling all communication with insurance companies,
- connecting you with necessary medical treatment,
- and helping you recover compensation to alleviate financial burden caused by the accident.
We understand that you have a lot of decisions to make after a car accident, and we want to make sure you have all the information you need to make the best choices for your future. That’s why we offer free consultations – so that you can discuss your case with us without any financial risk.
Call our team at (602) 730-4530 today for your free consultation and let us help you get the compensation you deserve.
Do You Need Help Handling Your Car Accident Claim?
Overwhelmed? Don’t know where to start? We get it!
After a car accident, you will have a lot of important decisions to make. The time in which you make these decisions and the decisions themselves will have a significant impact on your future.
Being proactive is crucial in this situation, saving you time, money, and stress in the long run. Our Phoenix-based car accident attorneys have helped many accident victims get the compensation they deserve while also ensuring their rights are protected. We encourage you to take a look at the many positive reviews of the level of service we provide.
Call our team at (602) 730-4530 today for your free consultation.
How Can a Chandler Car Accident Lawyer Deal with a Lowball Insurance Offer?
In Arizona, the insurance company of the at-fault driver is required to pay a settlement. But the law doesn’t require them to pay a specific amount. Insurance companies try to pay as little as possible to protect their profits. This is known as a lowball offer, and they are counting on you not knowing how to fight back. That is where a Chandler car accident lawyer can help you get the settlement you deserve.
Your lawyer will help you formally reject a lowball offer, then build an undeniable case documenting your current and future medical expenses, amount of work that may be lost due to injuries, and the cost of repairing or replacing your car.
At Hutzler Law, we have a not-so-secret weapon when it comes to fighting insurance companies. Our founding attorney, Jason Hutzler, was once an insurance adjustor and knows all the tricks insurance companies use to deny or minimize claims. So we know exactly how to fight back. Contact us for your initial consultation at (602) 730-4530 or through our online form.
Why Can Insurance Companies Offer Such Low Settlements?
Good question. Insurance companies justify lowballing car accident victims by intentionally undervaluing the severity of their injuries and the cost of repairing their property. Some even have doctors on payroll to provide an “expert opinion” that reported injuries or provided medical records will not require too much care.
They intentionally put together a low estimate of your costs in order to offer a far-too-low settlement. Unfortunately, many people don’t know that they can refuse the first offer, can’t navigate the appeal process, or are so disoriented while recovering from injuries that they miss critical deadlines to renegotiate.
This is why car accident lawyers are so adamant about protecting the rights of their clients, because insurance companies will take advantage of injured victims to save a buck just because they can.
Check the Fault Percentage
It is quite common for the insurance company of the at-fault driver to argue that the other party was partially at fault. It is important to check all the documentation to determine if your settlement is being reduced due to some assessment that you are partially to blame for the accident. If the evidence does not back up this claim, your lawyer can pursue a correction to ensure you receive the full amount of any assessed settlement amount. Fault-sharing is typical in at-fault states like Arizona but may not be an appropriate way for the insurance company to minimize expenses in your case.
The Real Cost of Your Injuries and Repairs
While you may be offered a settlement based on fantasy numbers, the reality is undeniable. You are likely already facing medical expenses, and your personal doctors can provide an objective prediction of the care (and cost of care) that each injured person might need in the future. This includes both the not-at-fault driver and any of their passengers who were injured in the crash.
Likewise, looking at the very real mechanic bills creates a concrete record of the settlement you will need to have a working family car again. Your lawyer can help you put together the records of these expenses and predicted future expenses to create a counter-offer for the insurance company with numbers that can’t be imagined away.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Chandler Car Accident Lawyer
Working with a contingency firm like Hutzler Law, it costs nothing to hire a car accident lawyer upfront. One of our attorneys will begin immediately working on your behalf to document your real expenses and fight for a fair insurance settlement at no cost to you. We can do this by working on what is called “contingency”.
This means that we only accept payment after you win a settlement, even if we have to file a lawsuit to get the settlement amount that you need. Our legal fees are always a percentage of your settlement, so that you never lose any money by hiring a car accident lawyer to defend you.
This means that you never have to say “I can’t afford a lawyer” when the car insurance company is trying to do you wrong. We are always here to help and you don’t have to worry about the cost.
Preparing a Stronger Insurance Claim for Your Car Accident Claim
Once you start working with a Chandler car accident lawyer, the next step is to build an even stronger insurance claim that fully documents the expenses you need to cover. Because the insurance company is undervaluing the costs to support a lowball offer, you will need meticulous expense tracking and prediction to defeat their tactic.
Collect Your Medical Bills So Far
Start with any medical bills you have already received or created. In seeking medical care immediately after a crash, most people have an example of medical bills from their immediate injuries long before insurance pays a settlement. It’s one of the reasons receiving a fair settlement becomes so important.
Ask Your Doctor to Build a Long-Term Treatment Plan
Doctors often like to wait and see how your healing progresses before making a long-term prognosis. However, the insurance company will need to see a realistic prediction of the treatment you will need to make a full recovery – or the lifelong care that will be required to help you deal with permanent damage.
Price Your Future Treatment Costs
Work with your doctor and medical insurance to estimate the cost of your medical treatment for the predictable future, whether you will need a few months of physical therapy or decades of pain management and rehabilitative treatment. Ask for the full price, not just your deductible or co-pay. Insurance changes, but your medical needs will not.
Determine How Much Work You May Miss
Lastly, calculate how much work you are likely to miss as a result of your injuries. This may be one sum of days as your injuries heal, it may be on and off work to manage a lasting condition, or you may be looking at long-term disability. Calculate the value of missed work by your daily pay by days missed.
Meet with Your Mechanic
Lastly, determine the costs associated with repairing or replacing your car. It can be easy to lose sight of the car when wrapped up in injuries, recovery, and fighting for a settlement to cover medical bills. However, the insurance company of the at-fault driver also needs to cover the cost of repairing your car, or replacing it if it cannot be repaired.
What If the Amount Is More Than The Other Driver’s Policy?
The final hurdle to overcome is policy limits. Ideally, your expenses will be within the maximum amount that the other driver’s insurance can pay. However, if you need more than their policy will cover, you still have options.
For example, you can file a personal injury lawsuit on top of your car accident insurance claim. This will allow you to seek a further settlement to be paid personally by the at-fault driver beyond their insurance policy’s capacity.
Don’t Get Undercut on the Settlement You Need for Car Accident Injuries
If you need a Chandler car accident lawyer to fight for your rightful settlement after a car accident, don’t hesitate to call. Hutzler Law is a top-rate Phoenix personal injury law firm that specializes in fighting insurance companies, along with their propensity to deny and lowball injury claims. Our founding attorney understands the inner workings of insurance tricks and we can help you negotiate a fair settlement based on your real-world costs and predicted expenses.
Our attorneys are dedicated to helping victims of accidents and injuries to recover and get the compensation they deserve. Contact us for your first consultation by calling (602) 730-4530 or contact us through our online form.