Tell Your Health Care Providers What They Need to Know But Only Just That
You need to be honest with your health care providers about any
questions they ask you about your medical history or your current
injuries. But you also have to remember that everything you say ends up
in your medical records. So if you hurt your back five years ago
lifting weights, you may want to leave out the part about it being in
prison while you were serving a sentence for armed robbery.
Don't Lie to Anyone
Mr. Maridon used to handle cases for insurance companies. The big
mistake people make time and time again is that they shade the truth or
flat out lie, thinking that no one will ever know. Who could possible
know that I hurt my back eight years ago in an accident in Florida? The
insurance company, that is who. It is counterintuitive for some, but
the best way to maximize the value of your case is to be completely
truthful to everyone at all times. This does not mean offering
information that you do not need to provide. But it does mean that you
should not tell anyone anything or put it in writing unless it is 100%
accurate.
Do Not Sign a Medical Authorization or
Provide Prior Medical Records
Insurance claims adjusters will tell you that you can just get medical
treatment and they will collect your medical bills and records for you.
It is a bad idea to give the insurance company a chance to rummage
through your entire life medical history to find things to use against
you in settlement negotiations. Collect your own bills and records and
forward them to the insurance company yourself.
Demand Letter to the Insuarnce Company
Get all of your medical bills and records, documentation of your lost
wages, and anything else you need, and send them to the insurance
company. Provide them in an indexed package that chronologically orders
the records. The problem of proceeding without a lawyer is that you
have no idea what the value of your case is. Accordingly, and this is a
judgment call, you may want to consider just sending in the bills and
records without making a demand. Let them go first and make you an
offer.
How much should I demand?
The short answer is that we have no idea unless we evaluate your case.
The value of a personal injury case is based on scores of variables and
you really can't know the true value of your case because you lack the
necessary experience. Unless you have seen hundreds of personal injury
cases and have seen how judges and juries respond to similar facts and
injuries, you really have no clue as to the value. But as long as you
understand this is the risk you take without a seasoned personal injury
lawyer, you have to figure out what you think is reasonable and pick a
figure that is higher than that number, but no so high as to tell the
insurance company that you are unreasonable or have no clue what you
are doing. This is awfully tricky if you do not handle personal injury
cases everyday.
Again, we do not recommend proceeding without a lawyer in the vast
majority of cases. There are just too many landmines. But if you are
going to go it alone on your accident case, many of these tips should
serve you well in most cases. Good luck!