Ian Hass is owner of Excalibur Solicitors, an experienced UK law firm specialising in all forms of Compensation. Excalibur Solicitors handles claims for Accident Types including Whiplash Injury,
Car Accidents and Accidents at Work compensation claims.
Posted in Personal Injury Lawsuit | No Comments »
Insurance covers expenses and losses due to accidents. Incorrect claims filing could lead to your claims getting rejected. Therefore it is vital you follow correct procedures for filing insurance claims.
Here are some common mistakes you need to guard against when filing your insurance claims:
Mistake 1: Filing a Petty Claim You need to evaluate the situation carefully to decide whether it’s worth your time to file claim or forget about it. If the case is a petty one, and you later have a larger claim, the petty, earlier filing may make the insurance company take your second claim in a less serious manner, hurting your chances for a fair settlement in the second claim.
Mistake 2: Filing at the Wrong Address or with the Wrong Insurance Company Many claimants file their claims with the wrong carrier or with the wrong address. Take the time to check these things because many providers have multiple addresses for claims filing purposes. Do the homework and find the correct address for the office that is the appropriate one for you to file at.
Mistake 3: Quoting Invalid Procedure Codes Check your latest policy documents for the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes. Those are the five-digit codes for medical services. These codes change frequently, so do your research and when filing insurance claims, remember to use the current codes for the date of service for which you are billing. Also check if any other codes are to be sent along with the insurance claims applications.
Mistake 4: Not Providing Proof of Expenses To compensate you for your injuries, the insurance company has to first calculate your expenses. To do this you have to provide the insurance company all your medical bills and statements of your financial losses due to inability to work. Come prepared to support your claim with notes, medical case histories, etc.
Mistake 5: Not knowing whether to file a First-Party Claim or a Third-Party one For your compensation, you have to either file a first-party claim, i.e. with your own insurance company or a third-party claim, i.e. with the insurance company of the other party. In the first option, your provider will usually cover all the expenses. In the second option, the other party’s insurance company will evaluate the damages and compensate you as much as they think is fair.
Mistake 6: Releasing Insurance Carriers too soon If you feel your claim has not settled to your satisfaction, do NOT relieve the insurance company of their duty by signing a release form. Press them for a more generous settlement, and do not hesitate to file a suit in small claims court for further compensation, if you think that’s what’s required.
Posted in Personal Injury Lawsuit | No Comments »
How much is the real cost of hiring an attorney in California? How can one know that he has been given the fair and appropriate price to a lawyer for legal services?
Attorney services in California are undoubtedly valuable, especially in a lawsuit. Knowing the difference between fair and excessive price often depends on a case. Legal fees vary according to circumstances in every case.
Moreover, the price of a legal service usually depends on the arrangement between the legal counsel and his client. However, a client has many options to take before deciding on the appropriate price to pay for an attorney’s invaluable service.
Here are a few points to know how professional fees generally work:
• Injury or Accident Cases - Most personal injury cases are charged on “contingency,” meaning that the lawyer agrees to take a certain percentage of the settlement or judgment, usually one-third. After the contingency fee has been paid, the remainder goes to the client. If the client does not win the case, the attorney will receive nothing.
On the other hand, a contingency fee may also be on a sliding scale – an attorney gets a higher or lower percentage depending on the size or amount of the settlement or judgment. If the award is large, a legal counsel may get a bigger amount and vice versa.
• Non-Injury Civil Cases - Family law, estate planning, real estate, and almost all other non-injury civil cases are billed on an hourly basis. Legal fees vary from case to case and lawyer to lawyer. Factors such as the attorney’s experience and type of case will affect hourly pricing.
While an attorney experienced in handling cases similar to yours may be more preferable, expect to pay more for any specialization. Expect to pay an initial retainer when the legal professional agrees to take the case, to secure the attorney services.
• Retainers - A retainer is an amount that “represents a certain number of the legal work hours at a set price, sometimes representing an estimate of the total cost of the lawyer’s services on the case”.
In retainer basis, a client pays his attorney in advance. By accepting the retainer, the legal advocate is agreeing not only work on your case, but also to decline any other cases that might present a conflict of interest with your case.
• Criminal Cases – For criminal cases, a flat fee paid up front, which is normal pricing practice. Because of the complexities of a criminal case, pricing like contingency fees or hourly rates may not be applied on these cases.
Such cases typically involve numerous and difficult legal procedures like preliminary hearing, jury selection, trial, motions, writs and appeals, etc. When a client is facing serious charges, one is advised to get the best legal counsel that he could afford.
One of the key things to keep in mind when seeking the right attorney services in California for your case is to avoid letting the service cost dictate your choice. The best way to choose an attorney is to meet them, discuss your case, ask questions, and have your concerns addressed directly.
At any rate, the fair price of attorney services is often the amount that you and your legal counsel agree.
For an immediate and reliable attorney services in California, log on to our website and avail of our free case evaluation services.
Posted in Personal Injury Lawsuit | No Comments »