Rear-Ended & Uninsured @ 39 Weeks Preggo

I'm going to piggy back on the previous comment. I am not an attorney but I work for the Attorney General's office. It is not a good thing to assume you can figure out all of your rights on your own. Sometimes a simple matter of knowing the law can be the difference between settling a case for a little and going to trial for a whole lot. My attorneys don't get huge salaries, but just like our buddy mentioned about her husband, they work hard. Any specialty area I believe if you do a good job you should get paid for it. That includes lawyers. Your situation is unique. The Attorney General's office in your state should be able to link you to a legal aid service if you can't find it online. Obviously if you can afford to pay for an attorney I believe in some instances, you get what you pay for. Most reputable attorneys will tell you off the bat, this isn't worth you paying me for, I don't see you recovering more than...because he knows how much work he will have to do and how much it will cost you for him to do it if there's not a big chance for a big win. All the best!

I am not an attorney and think you need to get your advice soley from an attorney. But, I will say this.

I had a car accident where the person who hit me had the same insurance company I had. I had no one on my side. Now, out of 6 cars I had the most damaged and was the one injured. The person who hit me was at fault, got a ticket and etc. What I got from my insurance company is that they won't subrogate against themselves. Meaning if someone hit you with All State and you have State Farm and the person with All State was at fault, then your company (State Farm) would go after All State. But, if the person who hit you had State Farm, then State Farm is not going to fight State Farm. I was trying to give an example if it makes sense. So, you said you were hit by an uninsured driver. That must mean your insurance company is covering your expenses. So, what I am saying is that you are fighting with the same insurance company that insures you.

I wish you nothing but the best.

Traci
 

I had 2 serious accidents within a year from eachother, both of them were not my fault and both of them had serious injuries with total losses on my vehicles.  Just as I recovered from one, I got into the 2nd one.  At any rate, I hired an attorney right away.  The insurance company was pressuring me to settle, and now that it is all said and done I am really glad that I didn't take their first offers.  Yes, the attorney took 1/3 of the settlement right off the top, but my feeling is that it was money well spent and I would do it again in a heartbeat.  Yes, there are alot of "ambulance chaser" attorneys out there, but there are WAY more good, qualified attorneys than the crooks.  Your best bet is to find one that has a good reputation and that you like and trust and take it from there.  The best stress relief was when these insurance people were calling and I told them to talk to my attorney.

I agree with the other ladies - consult an attorney. I would definately document the experience you had on the phone today too. I have learned to always get names and badge numbers when applicable for every person I talk to customer service related. If you decide to contact them on your own again maybe have your s/o call for a little good cop/bad cop - but I definately reccomend an attorney.

Liz

First of all, I am so sorry.....I hope this all works out great for you...

It was strange that you posted this too....a year ago today (two days before Nathan was born) we were rear-ended too. Thankfully it was major minor but I was just reminded of it today....never thought of it impacting Nathan in my tummy....but that would be hard to prove I think....

I agree, too...do not take offer and consult a lawyer.....don't worry about being flamed...you are doing the right thing!!!!

I hope and pray you get the answers and right support and little Lyd is okay :)

*HIJACK*

Ann, sweetie! I've been meaning to get in touch with you but surgery has me in a nasty recovery funk. Can you PM me your email address? Unless you've decided to succumb to peer pressure and join Facebook? LOL. Everett loved his Halloween attire and the candy was quickly devoured by my little goblins. You are sooo thoughtful!


I hope you are keeping healthy. How's Nathan these days? How was his Halloween?

Thanks and lots of hugs to you and Nathan!

Ugh, I had forgotten about that whole thing until now. IMHO, don't settle for the insurance co's offer. They are protecting their best interest. I know financial wealth isn't your goal here, but a reasonable settlement doesn't seem like what they proposed. I don't think there can be a monetary value placed on the what-ifs of future issues, but there must certainly be a way to attach a value to all that you endured in the days and weeks following the accident. Find a good lawyer and at least explore your options.

Hugs,

I'm currently in a similar situation. I was just rear ended on the 2nd of this month. Since I'm still early in my pregnancy, the doctors don't expect anything serious to happen to the baby. They did a very extensive ultrasound and everything looked perfect.

Here's my question.... how much can I expect to pay to talk to an attorney? I don't think I'll need to hire one, but some advice would be great.

LIke others have said, I would consult with an attorney. The 1st visit is usually free and they will tell you what kind of case you have. I had a personal injury case that was VERY hard to prove because I didn't have medical insurance but the attorney believed me and it took a while but he won the case. Don't give in you have the right to pursue your legal options!