Top 5 Myths About PI Claims
April 9, 2024
When an accident or incident caused by the negligence of another party results in serious injury, you could be entitled to damages through a personal injury claim. Many injured persons have a number of misconceptions about personal injury claims which can lead to them recovering less in damages than they are entitled to. As you’ll learn, working with one of the experienced Santa Ana personal injury attorneys from the Law Offices of Benjamin Arsenian helps to ensure that your rights are protected, and that you and your family are not left covering costs linked to your accident.
Myth #1: Personal Injury Attorneys Cost Too Much
One of the main reasons that injured persons do not reach out to an attorney as soon as possible after the accident, as is recommended, is because of worries concerning costs. The fact of the matter is, the Santa Ana personal injury attorneys from our firm are affordable to our clients, as they cost nothing out of pocket, ever.
Free Initial Consultations
To determine whether or not your case is a fit with our firm, we provide free initial consultations. These typically take anywhere from 15 up to 30 minutes, and are used to help our Santa Ana personal injury attorneys and case intake experts identify cases that we are able to assist on.
Contingency Fee Means We Only Get Paid if We Win
While some clients who are considering our firm are aware that our attorneys provide cost-free, risk-free initial consultations, many do not understand that we also provide contingency fee arrangements for our payment. A contingency fee means we only get paid if we win, with our payment coming out a portion of the earnings that we generate on your behalf. That means that we are motivated to produce the highest amount of income possible, as the more you make, the more you make. You never pay anything out of pocket.
Myth #2: The Insurance Company Works for You
One of the most common myths about PI claims that cost injured persons money is the false belief that the insurance company works for them. Whether you are filing a claim with your own insurance company on your own, or filing a claim against the insurance company of a liable party following an accident, it is essential to understand that the insurance company does not work for injured persons, it works for profit.
Insurance companies are for-profit organizations, and like any for-profit company they seek to maximize their profits by minimizing costs and optimizing revenues. For the insurance company, revenue is made by collecting premiums, and their primary cost is money paid out to injured victims. This means that they will do anything in their power to reduce or deny whichever claims they can.
The less that is paid out in claims to injured persons, the higher the profit margins of the insurance company. Insurance companies are known to offer less than injured persons are entitled to in order to save money, and sometimes even wrongfully deny claims in the hopes the denial will not be appealed.
Myth #3: Insurance Companies and PI Attorneys Work Together
This myth could not be further from the truth. Your personal injury attorney is a champion on your side and your side only, working against the insurance company to make the most of your claim. It is our goal to ensure that you are 100 percent covered for all costs associated with your injuries, and in doing so we will go against the insurance company and their team of full-time claim analysts and attorneys.
While in some instances insurance companies are willing to present a fair offer of settlement after you have filed a claim, it is sometimes necessary to take them to court. The time and legal expertise necessary to fight an insurance company in court is often something that injured persons simply do not have. This is one of the main reasons to work with one of our highly experienced Santa Ana personal injury attorneys. We will take your claim from start to finish, whether that includes settling before trial, or fighting against the insurance company in court and winning.
Myth #4: Taking Your Time to Contact an Attorney Won’t Harm Your Claim
The sooner you reach out to one of the experienced Santa Ana personal injury attorneys from our firm, the better off your claim will go. While you might want to wait and see how your symptoms improve or if the insurance comes forward on their own with a settlement offer, this could harm your claim. Evidence that could impact your claim in a substantial way may become difficult to collect with the passage of time, such as witness statements, or accurate and timely statements from police who reported to the scene. The sooner you receive medical assessments and gather evidence, the stronger your case will be.
Myth #5: You Don’t Need Much Evidence to Collect on a PI Claim
A leading reason that personal injury claims are rejected or reduced offers made is a lack of evidence. You can only collect what you can prove with evidence, evidence that would be admissible in court. This means that your claim must follow your local rules of evidence, and include proof and any and all damages that you are seeking to collect. This includes present and future medical costs, lost wages, and any lost earnings potential that your injuries may cause in the long run.
Discuss Your Claim with One of Our Santa Ana Personal Injury Attorneys
With the Law Offices of Benjamin Arsenian by your side as soon as possible after you have received emergency medical care for your injuries, the better off your claim will be. We take over the case immediately, gathering evidence, drafting your claim, and doing whatever possible to collect the full amount in damages that you are entitled to. Give us a call now to schedule your initial free intake consultation.