Now, we’d like to focus for a while on tips which have helped our clients get the maximum amount for their car accident settlement or slip and fall claim. As a “20/20″ lawyer, Jon Ostroff is one of the rare attorney in America who has handled, settled or reviewed over 20,000 injury claims in the past 20 years. With this amount of experience, Jon is very familiar with the games insurers play!

Here’s Jon’s advice to you:

• Seek medical care for your injuries and to follow your doctor’s orders. By getting the medical care you need, your giving your body its best chance to heal sooner. You are also helping your case by creating a record through your doctor of your injuries. Your doctor should make notes of all of your complaints, so be sure to be clear about everything that feels different to you then it did before your accident. This way, the insurance company can’t question which injuries still hurt you at different points in time. the value of your pain and suffering claim is based on the length of time your injuries will cause you pain and your doctors notes are the best way to prove this in your case.

• Refuse to provide a verbal statement to insurance companies.  Insurance companies do not need a verbal statement in order to settle an auto accident claim or a slip and fall injury claim.  In fact, they will often use your verbal statements against you later.  We advise clients to avoid all communication with the insurance company and to let us handle this for them. this is one of the many ways that we will protect you.

• Have your lawyer handle all communications, documentation requests and settlement offers from the insurance company. Jon Ostroff knows what documentation your insurance company needs to in order to evaluate the value of your case. This should be all you provide…less is more! Jon’s “20/20″ experience has taught him to give insurers only what they are entitled to and nothing more!

• Understand the law. Know what damages you are entitled to recover.  If you have any questions about your potential recovery, consult a Jon Ostroff and rely on his “20/20″ experience as a Pennsylvania accident attorney.

• Take time responding to settlement offers.  Jon recommends that you do not respond to settlement offers right away or appear particularly eager to settle. This could decrease our ability to effectively negotiate for you. Instead, think about any proposed settlements for a few days and know that Jon will spend as much time as you need making sure you understand all that you need to consider. As Jon will tell you, the final decision is always yours. Jon’s goal is to make sure you understand all you need to think about.

Jon Ostroff would be happy to talk with you about your specific accident injury claim.

When you have a knowledgable, experienced lawyer on your side, insurance companies listen and pay out greater settlements.  Call Ostroff Injury Law toll-free (888) 808-1340 or contact us online today!

If Jon has learned one thing from all those cases and all those years, it’s how to handle insurance companies. When you are fed up with the a-hole adjuster who tried to take advantage of you, by paying you less, dragging things out, insulting you, or blaming you for an accident that his insured caused… Show him where to stick it… hire Jon, one of the rare “20/20″ lawyers in America!

• Jon will take charge of your claim.
• Jon knows every insurance company trick in the book
• Jon knows how to move your case through the insurance company red tape and get it settled fast… For the amount you are entitled to!
• If the insurer wants to fight… get Jon in your corner!

Don’t settle for less than you deserve. Obtain the advantages that an experienced lawyer can provide you.  Call Jon Ostroff at (888) 808-1340 and let the personal injury lawyers of Ostroff Injury Law handle your claim!  We will fight to get you the highest possible settlement.

The best way to pick up the pieces and pay for all of your medical bills, lost income and pain and suffering is to reach a fair settlement with the insurance company.  If you do not, then your health and quality of life may suffer.  You may lack the necessary funds to purchase the medical care that you need or to continue living your current lifestyle while you are out of work.  Your lawyer will negotiate aggressively to protect your rights and your future!

The insurance industry’s own statistics show that if you have a lawyer on your side during an accident claim, you are likely to get a higher settlement.  Allstate’s 1995 training manual informed insurance adjusters that claimants represented by lawyers settle for 2-3 times more than claimants who are not represented by lawyers.  You deserve to recover the highest amount possible.  You deserve the advantages a lawyer can provide in insurance negotiations.

But Many People Don’t Trust Lawyers

It is true that some people don’t trust lawyers. A few bad lawyers have affected the perception of lawyers which can be a problem when you need a personal injury lawyer.  Don’t let this misconception ruin your future.  Instead contact Ostroff Injury Law and speak to a lawyer whom you can trust!

How to Find a Personal Injury Lawyer You Can Trust

It is important that you are comfortable with your lawyer and that you trust your lawyer to aggressively and fairly represent you.  In order to find a personal injury lawyer whom you trust, you should meet with the lawyer for a free consultation and:

• Ask the right questions;
• Find a lawyer who has experience in your area; who will have a partner come and visit you;
• Confirm the lawyer will work on a contingency fee basis ( they don’t get paid until you get paid); and
• Find out and get in writing the fee that you will be charged when the case settles.

If you take the time to interview your lawyer before entering an attorney client relationship then there will be no surprises.  You will understand how your lawyer will work for you and how your lawyer will be paid.

Often, the advantage of a lawyer negotiated insurance settlement is much higher than the lawyer’s fee and you get more money from the insurance company without having to deal with the time consuming, often frustrating, settlement negotiations. Instead, you can focus on your recovery and your life while your lawyer focuses on your financial settlement.

Speak to a PA personal injury lawyer free of charge who has experience dealing with the insurance company and can work with you to quickly settle your accident claim.  Call Ostroff Injury Law toll-free (888) 808-1340 or contact us online today!

Ostroff Injury Law works with accident injury claimants in Pennsylvania and we recommend that you talk to a lawyer about your case toll free at (888) 808-1340.

We’ve found that insurance companies are willing to try almost anything to avoid paying accident victims the accident injury settlements that they deserve and that they are legally entitled to pursuant to their insurance contracts. During 2009, the hottest political topic was reform of healthcare and health insurance companies. The desire for reform continues to highlight the distrust the country has for insurance companies. Our experience echoes this.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. In a slip and fall claim, does the insurance company need past medical records? First and foremost, we recommend that you do not allow an insurance company access to past medical records but  instead require the insurance company to request medical information from your lawyer.

You need a qualified attorney to decide what information an insurance company is entitled to. This often depends on the circumstances surrounding your accident. It also depends on whether the insurance company is seeking this information because they are paying your medical bills or because they are trying to settle your claim for pain and suffering. Do your self a favor and don’t open up your medical history to the insurance company without the right attorney in your corner. By doing this, you are putting them in control of your injury claim.

2. What are insurance companies responsible for in an accident? Generally, insurance companies are responsible for reimbursing accident victims for all of the losses they sustained in an accident including: pain and suffering, lost income, medical care, disability and the inability to enjoy those things that you did before you were injured.

3. Are Insurance Companies Entitled to Phone Records? Insurance companies are not entitled to all of your phone records. Often, they seek your phone records to determine if you were using a cell phone around the time of an accident. You should require that an insurance company request your phone records through your lawyer and not directly through the phone company. Do not give them the right to do this directly. Let an attorney who is in your corner handle this for you.

4. Should I sign a Medical Records Authorization for an Accident? No, you should not. If you do then you give your insurance company permission to speak directly to your doctor and to obtain written statements from your doctor.

Your case will turn on your doctor’s medical opinions. Your doctor will answer questions about your injuries in a written report. Be sure that you have hired a skilled attorney who knows how to put these important questions to your doctor. Do not trust the insurance company to ask these questions in a fair way. Once your doctor commits his opinion to writing, you are stuck with it. Instead, you should have your insurance company obtain medical information through you lawyer only.

5. How Long Can an Insurance Company Not Pay You After an Accident? An insurance company should pay you as soon as a car accident settlement is reached. The best way to reach a fair, equitable and prompt settlement is by hiring an experienced lawyer who focuses on personal injury claims only.

6. Should I talk to the At-Fault Insurance Company? No, you should hire a lawyer to talk to the at fault insurance company. Every word you say to them can be twisted and used against you. The only reason they will request a recorded statement from you is so they can use it against you.

7. Should I Speak to an Insurance Adjuster After an Auto Accident? No, the insurance adjuster will record your statement and use your words against you later in an attempt to reduce your accident settlement. .  Let your lawyer talk to the insurance company for you.

8. If I Have Limited Tort Should I Just Take the First Offer the Insurance Adjuster Makes? No! Insurance companies want you to settle quickly for less money than a good lawyer will recover for you. Limited tort coverage has important exceptions and you may be entitled to a substantial recovery despite what your insurance adjuster tells you. Do not accept a limited tort settlement without speaking with a lawyer.

9. Do I Need to Speak with a Lawyer to Make Sure You are Getting the Top Settlement for Your Accident Injury Case? Yes! You do need to speak to a lawyer to make sure you are getting the top settlement for your accident injury case. The insurance company profits by getting you to accept the lowest possible settlement for your accident. Despite what your insurance adjuster tells you, you are likely to settle for more money with the help of a lawyer because a lawyer levels the playing field. If the insurance company has a team of lawyers on their side and handle thousands of injury claims, shouldn’t you hire the right lawyer to represent you?

10. Is it True that Accident Victims Recover Higher more Money with a Good Lawyer representing them? Yes, check this fact out!

Insurers know, and tell their adjusters during training, that in the most common personal injury claims, “[r]epresented claims [when an injured person uses an attorney] settle for 2-3 times more than unrepresented claims [when a person deals directly with the insurer].” Allstate Unrepresented Adjuster Training Manual, July 1995.

Pennsylvania Personal Injury Lawyer

Accident victims who hire an experienced lawyer are at an advantage when settling accident claims in Pennsylvania. Insurance companies want you to settle for as little money as possible. Ostroff Injury Law wants to level the playing field and help you settle your claim for top dollar! Call us toll-free (888) 808-1340 or contact us online today!