Accepting An Insurance Settlement: What Are Your Options?

ALLPICS INSURANCE SETTLE Accepting An Insurance Settlement: What Are Your Options?

Accepting An Insurance Settlement: What Are Your Options?

When you have been involved in a car accident, you will be approached by the insurance company representing the at-fault driver with a settlement offer. Many times, this will begin shortly after the accident took place. The insurance company is offering this settlement as a way to absolve themselves from responsibility for your losses.

In most cases, the first few settlement offers that they will make will be very low. It is their belief that if they can get you to accept quickly, they will not have to pay everything that you are entitled to as a victim. While this is not fair in any way, it is standard operating procedures for an insurance company.

It is very important for you to understand that despite the pressure they are going to put on you to accept their offer, you have the right to say no. You do not have to accept any of their offers. The only thing that you should do is hire a personal injury attorney and allow them to negotiate a settlement on your behalf.

A personal injury lawyer New York based website, states the following about hiring a lawyer to negotiate your personal injury claim “Your attorney can also help you either negotiate a settlement for your car accident losses or make a strong case in court so you can get the compensation you deserve….When you or a loved one has been hurt in a wreck, you need to take action to get the money you need to cover your losses in full.”

Why Hire A Car Accident Attorney?

Under the laws of your state, you are entitled to specific forms of compensation when you are injured in a car accident. Some of these forms of compensation may include;

• Medical coverage
• Loss of wages
• Repair or replacement of vehicle
• Pain and Suffering
• Personal property damages
• Loss of consortium

There may be additional losses that are covered in your state.

Additionally, issues like long-term care, loss of future earnings, and if a disability occurred compensation for that disability may need to be included in the settlement. Often, insurance companies “forget” these other items.

Hiring an attorney will also ensure that any offer they are providing to cover these items is fair. Again, if the insurance company can offer less than what the damages are worth, they will. An attorney will carefully review any offer and decide if it is full and fair.

Sadly, these insurance companies that are paid to provide coverage for these specific events are more worried about their bottom line. It takes legal action to push them to make the right decisions and honor the very policies that they issue.

If you are still not satisfied with a settlement offer that is made through your attorney, you can request that your attorney take the case to trial. When you go to trial, the Court will put your case before a jury and allow the jury to decide on any award that you receive. While this can be beneficial at times, it can also backfire for the injured party.

Many times when a case goes to trial, the victim is awarded a considerably larger settlement than what was offered. However, the insurance company will be very displeased at this outcome and will continue to fight the award. The case could continue through the appellate process for several years, leaving the victim unable to cover expenses during this time. For this reason, most attorneys will discourage a trial.

Hiring an attorney will allow you to protect your rights and receive the fairest settlement for your injuries and losses.

Valerie Stout Cyrus is a freelance writer who frequently researches car accident claims. She has discovered that laws concerning accident victims vary from state to state. If you want to learn more about defending your accident case, you can use search terms like personal injury lawyer New York online to find relevant information.

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/atgeist/8718364687

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alancleaver/4122171512/

Tags: car accidents, insurance settlements

Relevant Articles

Landscapers Beware: Is Your Trailer At Risk For A Wreck?

ALLPICS LANDSCAPING Landscapers Beware: Is Your Trailer At Risk For A Wreck?

Landscaper’s Beware: Is Your Trailer At Risk For A Wreck?

Landscapers provide a wide variety of services. Their businesses might include everything from design through construction and maintenance. Soil preparation and grading; tree, shrub and grass planting; installing and cleaning out irrigation systems; and dealing with retaining walls, patios and pathways, are just a few of the challenges landscapers encounter on a daily basis.

In addition, landscape maintenance may also be a component of a landscape professional’s service offering. Because there is a great deal of equipment, soil, and other materials to haul around during the course of a work day, most landscapers use trailers to handle the load. But at times, a landscape trailer can lead to trouble.

For landscape businesses, safety is far too important to ignore. During the course of their work, landscapers are responsible for the health, safety and welfare of those around them. This includes the times they’re driving to and from job sites hauling a trailer of equipment behind them.

The consequences of an accident caused by an improperly loaded or maintained trailer can be extreme. One Charlotte car accident lawyer firm informs that unreasonable carelessness can be considered negligence. If a landscape professional or his crew loads their trailer wrong, hitches it up incorrectly, or uses defective equipment, and this results in an auto accident, it can open up the possibility of a personal injury or wrongful death suit brought against the landscaper.

Therefore, landscapers should always ensure that all of their equipment meets with the highest of standards to avoid unpleasant accidents that can cost them their livelihoods-or their lives.

Hazards

As with any physically demanding work, landscapers face a number of hazards. Some are inherent in hauling a great deal of equipment around.

Due to the complexities involved, trailers pose a major risk for accidents. One of these factors concerns the general condition of the trailer. While it may seem financially prudent to buy after-market hauling equipment, care should be taken to ensure that such equipment is suitable for the work it is intended for.

Make sure the trailer bed is in good condition, with no rotted or displaced boards, and all side panels are sturdy and secure. Check tire inflation periodically, and replace tires when tread wears below recommended levels.

Connections

Avoiding accidents starts with properly connecting the trailer to the towing vehicle. One of the most important elements of attaching a trailer is how the hitch is connected. Most landscape trailer hitches are of the “bumper pull” variety. These hitches come in various sizes and types, and are designated in classes I through V, according to their ball size and how much weight they can handle. A hitch must be able to properly tow the weight of the trailer being used, plus the equipment on the trailer.

The trailer hitch must handle weight distribution and sway control adequately. There are a number of devices that may be used to accomplish this, but it’s important to have a professional install them. Inadequate installation today may lead to an accident tomorrow.

Loading

The way that a trailer is loaded is essential for safety. Approximately 60 percent of cargo weight should be placed at the front half of the trailer. Loading too much in the back can cause tow vehicles and trailers to whip around in an uncontrollable sway.

Also, you should consider the towing vehicle, and never overload it or exceed the maximum gross weight the vehicle is rated to tow. Use the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and Gross Axle Weight Ratings (GAWR) posted on the driver inside door as your guide, and stay below these weights.

Safely loading landscaping equipment on the trailer is an essential task. Improperly secured mowers, weeders, blowers and supplies could shift, causing the trailer to swerve into oncoming traffic, or even tip the trailer. And loose equipment has a nasty tendency to fall off trailers and onto adjacent vehicles.

Safe loading must be practiced after every job. To begin with, make sure the trailer is out of traffic, and the wheels are chocked. Use straps, chains or Bungee type stretchable cords to properly fasten gardening and construction equipment, gasoline storage tanks, and supplies like fertilizer and mulch, to sturdy trailer tie points.

Heavy equipment such as zero-radius mowers should only be loaded using a ramp, and positioned and fastened securely at the end of the trailer closest to the tow vehicle. Smaller, loose equipment like shovels and rakes are best stored handles down in special holders made from PVC pipe mounted vertically on the inside or corners of the trailer panels.

Maintenance

Landscaping trailers should be checked over with regularity to ensure that they are suitable for road use. For instance, before every run, all connections (hitch, chains and lights) should be secure, checked for wear, and any deficiencies corrected. Equipment that is in disrepair should never be used. Using a trailer with damaged or defective couplings may cause a truck/automobile accident that produces lifelong injury, medical expenses and loss of income, as well as loss of life for the landscaper and others.

Safety begins with the proper equipment. Properly selected and maintained, a trailer can be a safe and valuable asset that lasts until the business outgrows it. But the other side of the safety coin is the quality of training provided the staff operating the trailer, and the emphasis on safety that only the business owner can instill in his company culture. Neglecting safety training is a surefire way to increase accidents.

Having an uncle in the landscaping business gives Nadine Swayne the insight and know-how to properly load a landscape trailer to avoid accidents. Her research included the website of Charlotte car accident lawyer group Auger & Auger Attorneys at Law, who recognize that each accident case is different and are dedicated to providing quality representation to clients based on their unique circumstances.

Photo credit #1: http://www.flickr.com/photos/amslerpix/9904782924/

#2: http://www.flickr.com/photos/carbonnyc/8814312676/

#3: http://www.flickr.com/photos/erikstarck/5970892757/

Tags: car accidents, landscape, landscaping trailers

Relevant Articles

Staying Safe On The Road This Holiday Season

ALLPICS HOLIDAY TRAVEL Staying Safe On The Road This Holiday Season

Staying Safe on the Road this Holiday Season

You and your family may be making plans to take to the road and spend time away from home this holiday season. However, with millions of other travelers out on the highways, you may also be well advised to make plans for how you can keep you and your family safe as you travel on busy roadways. Taking the time now to plan for your safety can help make sure you enjoy a festive holiday season. As you plan for your trip, take these suggestions into consideration.

Look at Extended Weather

Even if your trip is still weeks away, you can still plan for safe travels by taking a look at the extended weather forecasts. Many weather websites offer extended forecasts that predict the weather several weeks in advance. You can get an idea for how the weather conditions will be when you head off on your journey, when you are driving to your destination, and even as you head back home after your vacation. Knowing what the weather could potentially be like can help you adjust your plans accordingly.

Get Your Car Maintained

Before you head out on your trip, you can also prepare for your journey by having your car inspected and maintained. Things like having the oil changed, the tires inspected and inflated, and the fluids in the engine checked can make a world of difference in how your car performs on long distance trips. It also can prevent your car from breaking down alongside a deserted road while you are on vacation.

Have an Accident Plan in Place

You may not want to entertain the thought of being in an accident while you are on your holiday vacation. Nonetheless, you would do well to think about what would happen if you do get in a wreck and what you should do afterward. Brushing up on your defensive driving lessons and having the name and number of an accident attorney programmed into your cell phone’s contacts can be important for both preventing an accident and taking immediate action in case you are involved in a wreck.

At Steinger, Iscoe & Greene they state “In these and other situations, the goal is to ensure that all of your car accident losses are covered and that you take full advantage of the protections available to you.” Even if you are miles from home, you can still call your attorney and allow this individual to help you in the days and weeks to follow. This prompt assistance can be particularly vital if you need to take legal action against the person who caused the wreck.

Enroll in Roadside Assistance

As with being in an accident, you also may not anticipate things like running out of gas or blowing a tire. When these events occur, you can get back on the road in no time if you are enrolled in an emergency roadside assistance program. You can call for roadside assistance and receive prompt help in changing a tire or getting a tank of gas. This program can be vital in making sure you are protected during every leg of your journey.

As you head out for holiday travels, it is important that you make plans now for the safety and enjoyment of you and your family. These suggestions can help you and your family have fun and be safe on the holiday roads this year.

Lisa Coleman shares some tips that should be taken into consideration to help ensure a safer road trip during the holidays, or any time. She recently read online how Steinger, Iscoe & Greene, an accident attorney group, can help a client if an accident was to occur when traveling.

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/matze_ott/2361139875/

Tags: car accidents, holiday travel

Relevant Articles

Can Distractive Passengers Cause Accidents?

Can Distractive Passengers Cause Accidents?

There has been much talk in the news lately about new laws that went into effect around the country against texting and driving. These laws were enacted to prevent distracted driving.

A recent study released by the Department of Highway Safety states that distracted driving causes 25 percent of all accidents, and 75 percent of all accidents involving teens. However, there is more to distracted driving than just texting or using a cell phone.

In April of 2013, two 16 year old girls found themselves involved in a fatal accident on the St. Petersburg Bridge. The driver, distracted by the passenger who was getting loud on her cell phone, took her eyes of the road for “only a second” to look at what her passenger was doing.

In that “second,” the girl lost control of her car, smashed into the cement guardrail of the bridge, and the car flipped up and was teetering on the edge of the bridge. One of the girls died instantly at the scene. Sadly, this type of event is not uncommon, especially with teens. The news is filled with tragic events just like this one everyday due to the driver being distracted by a passenger in the car.

What Can Parents Do?

Driving is a rite-of-passage that all teens must make. Parents must look at the seriousness of this transformation and spend sufficient time explaining to their teens the dangers of distracted driving. Parents, as a whole, will teach their teens about drinking and driving, about defensive driving, and how to change a tire.

However, they do not talk about how passengers should act in the car. They do not think about how the distractions of rambunctious teens piled in a car can affect the way their teen manages the car. This can be a fatal mistake for some individuals.

Establish House Rules

Most parents talk about distracted driving and texting or phone or radio use. They need to address what to do when their teen allows passengers in the car. Set rules that you demand to be followed, and make no exceptions. Inform your teen that all passengers must do the following:

Wear Seat Belts
Refrain From Overly Loud Speech
Keep Physical Movements To A Minimum

It may seem very restrictive, especially to a teens natural ability to be loud, but it is necessary to keep them safe. Parents must explain to a teen that driving sills come with experience and age, not just with a driver’s education course.

It takes time to become very secure with maneuvering through traffic and learning how to manage on different types of roads. Explain to them that these restrictions are meant to allow them to learn these skills, not to dampen their spirits. And once you have set down these rules, make sure to reinforce your standings.

Distracted driving is responsible for a majority of all accidents that involve teen drivers, and a large majority of fatal crashes. In the past, this type of statistic was attributed to underage drinking. However, through great effort of the MADD program and other similar programs, underage drinking accidents have decreased at a phenomenal rate.

This same method of positive reinforcement and encouragement to be responsible that these anti-underage drinking programs employ can be applied to issues such as distracted driving and passenger behavior.

Jamica Bell is a blogger and concerned parent to 3 young adults. She contributes this article to highlight how distractive passengers can be just as dangerous as any other distraction in the car. During her research she found the legal site, http://www.tampainjurylawyer.com/, to be very informative regarding the impact a car accident can have on an individual.

Photo credit: http://flic.kr/p/fQccaY

Photo credit: http://flic.kr/p/MZ9NV

Photo credit: http://flic.kr/p/xUEs7

Tags: car accidents, Safety, teen drivers