personal injury accident Tag

Don’t Let an Insurance Adjuster Cost You a Fair Settlement

Insurance companies usually play a role after a personal injury. Not only do most individuals not have the money to cover medical bills after things like an accident, slip and fall, or dog bite, but most individuals and businesses carry insurance for this purpose. The only thing is, in order for the insurance company to stay in business, they hire people to be really nice to you while paying you as little as possible. Don’t get cheated out of a fair settlement by any of these insurance company tactics.

• Requests for signed or recorded statements – This is a trap. They hope you will say something on the record that allows them to pin part of the blame on you and therefore reduce your settlement. Only your lawyer should be in communication with the insurance company.
• The delay game – Sometimes, the insurance company will make you sweat it out, wondering if they will ever offer anything. By the time they come back to you with an offer, you are desperate and surrounded by medical bills. You better believe that offer isn’t going to be fair to you.
• Trying to make you give up – Sometimes insurance companies ask for ridiculous information, perhaps even info that it is not your job to provide. They do this to make it seem like a claim is just too much work. Sadly, many people give up without getting any compensation.

Get the Help You Need in Southern California

Petrov Law Firm in San Diego is here to help! Contact an experienced personal injury attorney today by calling 619.344.0360.

How to Handle Personal Injuries When at a Hotel

People are starting to return to travel. Hopefully, hotels are ready. One thing that can suffer when you are used to having less traffic at your hotel is the safety conditions. If you have been injured on hotel property, here are a few things that you need to know about seeking compensation.

• Get a medical exam as soon as possible – If you are traveling, you may be worried about paying out-of-network fees. However, these expenses should be covered by the hotel’s insurance if you can prove they were negligent.
• File an accident report – Most hotels will have you submit an accident report if they learn that you were injured on their property. Be sure to get a copy to provide to your lawyer.
• Get contact info for witnesses – If anyone saw the injury, be sure to get a phone number so your lawyer can interview them.
• Document the scene – Everyone has a smartphone nowadays, and it only takes a second to take a few shots or a brief video that shows the area in the hotel where you were injured.
• Make sure you have proof you belong there – The insurance company isn’t going to pay out if you had no reason to be at the hotel or, worse, if you were trespassing. If the room isn’t in your name, you will have to be able to prove you were part of the party that was staying in the room.

Personal Injury Attorneys in San Diego

If your injury occurred in southern California, contact the experienced personal injury lawyers at Petrov Law Firm. Call 619.344.0360 today to get your case started.

After an Injury, Avoid Providing Signed or Recorded Statements

When you have experienced an injury, and someone else may be liable, they are likely to try and get a statement from you. However, if an insurance company or someone’s attorney, or anyone else tries to get you to sign a written statement or record a statement, don’t do it. Why? You shouldn’t say anything on the record without your own legal counsel present.

The person trying to get you to provide an on-the-record statement is just looking for a way to reduce or eliminate the compensation that you are due. They may ask questions in a misleading way that tricks you into saying something that legally would constitute an admission of blame or perhaps something that clears the guilty party of negligence.

If you are going to receive a settlement, you need to be sure that you have proof of damages and that the party you are seeking compensation from was negligent in some way. If you even accidentally provide evidence to the contrary, an insurance company will use that to either avoid negotiating with you at all or to try and get you to take a very small settlement that may not even cover your medical bills.

Remember that phone calls with the insurance company are likely to be recorded, so it is best to have your lawyer handle all communications.

Getting the Help You Need After an Injury

Sadly, you need someone on your side who knows the law if you are going to receive a fair settlement. That’s just the way it is. If your injury happened in southern California, Petrov Law Firm can help. Give us a call today at 619.344.0360 to get started.

Who Is Responsible for Damages Due to Road Hazards?

There are many factors that can lead to an accident when no other vehicle is involved but your own. If you are injured in such an accident, you may wonder where to turn for proper compensation. Much has to do with who was at fault. Consider the following scenarios.

• Debris falling off the back of a truck – Let’s say a driver failed to properly secure debris or equipment in the back of his truck. On the road, it flies off the truck and causes you injury. The driver’s insurance would be on the hook for medical bills and other damages since the driver failed to take the proper precautions.
• Construction debris – If the company is privately owned, the contractor’s liability insurance should cover the damages. If the construction was federal, state, or local government-run, then you would need to seek compensation from a public entity. Remember that the statute of limitations is often short when suing the government, so don’t wait to begin the process of seeking compensation.
• The weather causes dangerous road conditions – If you fail to take proper precautions when driving in dangerous conditions, it may be deemed as your fault that the damages occurred. Even in this case, you might be able to seek compensation from your own insurance company.

Getting Help After a Road Hazzard Accident

Of course, these are just some examples, and your case may be different. That is why you should contact a personal injury attorney to get assistance. Petrov Law Firm can help if you were injured in an accident in southern California. Give us a call today at 619.344.0360 to learn more and to maximize your compensation.

How to Handle Medical Expenses Due to Injuries

If you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident, a slip and fall, a dog attack, or in some other preventable way, the most important thing to do is to get the proper medical care. However, you may find that the bills are starting to pile up. Maybe the injuries were more extensive than you thought at first, or perhaps you were taken to a facility that this not covered by your insurance due to the location of the accident.

So how can you handle the medical expenses? The number one thing is to track all of the expenses closely. These bills prove that you experienced damages as the result of the accident. Now, it is time to hire a personal injury attorney in the state where the injuries occurred. This is vital because you will most likely be dealing with an insurance company.

Insurance companies hire people who are very friendly and charismatic as their adjusters. This gives you the sense that they are working for you and trying to get you the best payout possible to cover your losses. But remember: the adjuster works for the insurance company. Their job is to pay out as little as possible, so you should have someone who knows the law helping you to get what you truly deserve.

San Diego’s Personal Injury Attorneys

At Petrov Law Firm, we are committed to helping our clients receive the proper compensation for their losses. Give us a call today at 619.344.0360 to have an experienced attorney handle your settlement.

Health Concerns Following a Motor Vehicle Accident

If you have walked away from a motor vehicle accident without any major injuries, you are very lucky. However, you should still see a doctor just to get checked out. This is true even after an accident that didn’t seem so bad. The fact is that you can end up with whiplash from a minor fender bender, and that neck soreness may be your only symptom for now, but things can change in the days, weeks, or even months after an accident.

You should be especially alert to changing symptoms if you hit your head or if your neck got whipped around fast enough to have caused a concussion. Go back to the doctor immediately if you begin to experience any of these symptoms:

• Chronic daily headaches or migraines
• Vertigo, dizziness, or lightheadedness
• Mood changes such as sudden irritability
• Concentration or memory issues
• Difficulty sleeping
• Blurry vision
• Ringing in the ears
• New sensitivity to light or sound

Fortunately, California allows you to file a case up to two years after most personal injuries, so you don’t have to worry your medical bills will pile up without compensation. You should, however, start your case as soon as you can by hiring a personal injury attorney in the state.

San Diego’s Personal Injury Attorneys

Contact Petrov Law Firm today to get your case started if you have been injured in southern California. Just call 619.344.0360, and one of our experienced lawyers will help you to maximize the settlement you receive from the car insurance company.

Safe Driving Practices to Protect Your Family

In the state of California, you never want to be the one at fault in a motor vehicle accident because this is a tort state. However, you have an even better reason to drive as safely as possible. You want to protect your family and others both in your vehicle and in others on the road. Here are a few safe driving tips.

• Follow the laws of the road – These laws are in place to protect drivers and passengers. One of the most vital laws to obey is the speed limit. The worst accidents and injuries occur when one or more drivers are moving at high speeds.
• Don’t drive angry – Road rage is responsible for many unsafe driving behaviors. Even if another driver cuts you off, drives too close, or flies by at high speeds, you need to think about what is best for the people in your car. That means remaining calm and continuing following the traffic laws to the best of your ability.
• Remove distractions – There are so many things that can distract a driver. The fewer distractions you allow for yourself, the more you can stay focused on the road. While your phone is the worst distraction, but there are many other things to avoid doing while driving.

When You Have Been Injured in a Motor Vehicle Accident

Petrov Law Firm is here to help car accident injury victims in southern California. Contact our San Diego office today at 619.344.0360 and get in touch with one of our experienced personal injury attorneys.

3 Things to Know After a Car Accident in California

If you have experienced a car accident in the state of California, you need to understand the rules that apply. This is true whether you are a resident or were on vacation. Here are three essentials when it comes to receiving proper compensation after a car accident in California.

• California is a tort state – This means that the insurance of the at-fault driver is on the hook for the settlement. If you are from out of state, this may be new to you since many US states are no-fault states (meaning that each driver’s insurance covers their own liability regardless of who was at fault).
• Any lawsuits filed must be in the state of California – Again, this means that all California state laws apply. You need to know what the statute of limitations is for your type of accident so that you don’t wait too long to make a claim.
• You need a California attorney – This is true in any state. You need an attorney who can practice in the state where your case is. And that makes sense because laws are different from state to state, so a local attorney is going to know best anyway.

Personal Injury Attorneys in San Diego

For experienced attorneys in southern California, car accident victims choose Petrov Law Firm. Our lawyers can help you to get what you really deserve from the insurance company. Give us a call today at 619.344.0360 to get your case started right away!

Three Myths About Car Accidents Settlements

Car accidents are one of the most common reasons to begin a personal injury case. After all, injuries can lead to medical debt, missed work, or even long-term health issues. Here are a few myths you should know are untrue so that the settlement you receive adequately compensates you for your losses.

• Myth 1: You only can receive compensation for medical bills – Compensatory damages should include any tangible and intangible losses. For example, you may have had to use some sick days or vacation days while recovering from the accident, or you may have had to change your job due to the extent of the injuries. Lost benefits and future wages also count.
• Myth 2: The insurance company will make sure I am fairly compensated – The insurance company’s business is based on paying out as little as possible. If you just wait for a settlement and take what they give you, there is no way you received what you truly deserve.
• Myth 3: It is too expensive to hire a lawyer – Actually, the reverse is true. Without a lawyer, the insurance company may take advantage of you. The fee for an attorney is nothing compared to getting the settlement you actually deserve.

Personal Injury Attorneys in Southern California

Petrov Law Firm has experienced personal injury attorneys to help maximize your settlement. Don’t let the insurance company decide what you deserve for your injuries. Let our team of experts help you get what you truly deserve. Call 619.344.0360 to get started.

Tips for Dealing with an Insurance Company in a Personal Injury Case

Insurance companies are notoriously difficult to deal with, even when a person has a legitimate case. If you receive a settlement at all, it is likely to be way less than what you deserve. Here are three tips for dealing with the insurance company to help you get the best settlement possible.

• Don’t wait – Insurance companies like to use delaying tactics to stop you from starting a suit. They may promise a settlement but drag their feet providing it. Part of the goal is to make you accept immediately when the settlement finally comes. Part of the idea is to get you to wait until the statute of limitations is up before seeing legal action.
• Don’t give up – The insurance company may ask you to perform some ridiculous and tedious requests in order to provide you with an “accurate” settlement. Often, they are asking you to do things that are their job just to make you think the process is too difficult. They want you to give up, so they don’t have to pay anything.
• Don’t do it alone – Insurance companies want you to believe you can work it out with them and “save money” by not hiring a lawyer. In reality, they don’t want you going to a lawyer because they know you will get a much larger settlement if you have legal assistance.

Hire the Right Personal Injury Attorney in Southern California

Petrov Law Firm in San Diego has experienced attorneys who can help you to get what you deserve from the insurance company after an accident or injury. Call 619.344.0360 to get your case started today and let us help you to maximize your settlement.