Beware Insurance Adjusters Bearing Gifts

Yesterday a sad story walked through my door, but also an important lesson. An older woman came in who had been involved in an car accident almost two years ago. Her car was rear-ended by a commercial truck. The impact totaled her, but she herself initially had not suffered major personal injury. Only some strain in her neck and back. She was sure the pain would dissipate over time. Within a week of the accident she was contacted by the big rig’s insurance company offering $1000 on the spot if she signed a release. In need of money and thinking her aches and pains would go away, she signed. But in a couple of weeks her pain did not go away – in fact it got worse. By the time she walked into my office she had gone through back surgery and had an electrical stimulator surgically embedded underneath her skin on her back to help with the pain. And because she had no health insurance she was $100,000 in debt. She had no recourse and could not go after the trucking company or it’s insurance because she had signed away all of her rights. This likely saved the insurance hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Ninety percent of the clients who walk through my door have never sued anyone before and emphasize that they “normally do not do this sort of thing.” Naturally they see all the bad press about “trial lawyers and their greedy clients” and do not want to be seen in this way. So they proclaim their otherwise non-litigious nature always. But the truth is nobody thinks about filing a lawsuit until they themselves are a victim or personally injured in a car accident. As for the other ten percent, I try to avoid them if they do have a litigious history. Bottom line is if you have been injured in an accident, you should talk to an attorney before signing anything. Feel free to call day or night with questions – it is a free consultation every time.