Is Hiring a Broken Bones Lawyer Important in Chicago?

As humans, we owe each other duty of care either directly or indirectly. When a person fails to exercise their duty of care over the other, accidents usually happen. One common misconception about the duty of care is that you must be related to the other party in one way or another for them to exercise their duty of care. On the contrary, the duty of care involves almost everyone you interact with either directly or indirectly.

For instance, when driving down the freeway in Chicago, you owe other drivers the duty of care. Similarly, they also owe you the duty of care. In both instances, you may not know the drivers personally but you know that it is their responsibility to drive carefully, protecting other drivers from accidents.

When a driver fails to exercise their duty of care, it could be a case of negligence. That's how car accidents happen. Unfortunately, when such accidents occur, the results can be devastating. From serious injuries to preventable deaths, the effects of car accidents or any other acts of negligence can be devastating. 

Broken bones are some of the most common effects or symptoms of such accidents. For this reason, a broken bones lawyer can help identify the party responsible for the accident. This is usually the party that owes you the duty of care. 
 
However, as straightforward as it sounds, sometimes it's not that easy to identify the individual or entity that owes you a duty of care. For example, who should be held responsible for your damages if you slip and fall outside a grocery store? Is it the grocery store owner, the city, or another party? 

Identifying the party responsible for your injury is the first step in the long journey to compensation. In some cases, more than one individual or entity might be responsible for your injuries. So before you file a claim, you must know the party responsible for your injuries. An experienced Chicago broken bones attorney can help you with this process.

After a broken bones accident or incident, insurance companies will need proof that their insured is responsible for your injuries. And even with the availability of evidence, they will still try to use different tactics to avoid compensating you for your losses. These companies make billions of dollars every year as profits, and you'd think that the amount you're claiming as compensation is just a drop of ink in their ocean of wealth.

But that's not always the case. Insurance providers will even try to use your words against you just to avoid compensating you for your damages. This further explains why an experienced broken bones attorney will explain your rights, including what you should or should not reveal to the insurance company.

The value of your claim influences the actions of the insurance company. In most cases, when your claim is worth a considerable sum of money, insurance companies will use different tactics to find reasons to dismiss or discredit you. Some will even argue that your injuries are not as serious as you claim. This can be frustrating and painful, especially when you know how difficult it is to deal with the fact that you've suffered several broken bones and are no longer able to accomplish certain tasks. 

Your pain doesn't really matter to insurance companies. Instead, protecting their interests and wealth is all they think about. Some insurers will even hire investigators to spy on your social media accounts to find even the smallest reason to dispute or dismiss your claim. 

When you hire a Chicago broken bones lawyer, you won't have to deal with insurance companies directly. Instead, you can sit back and focus on your treatment and recovery. The attorney will handle the entire claims process on your behalf as you recover from your injuries.

As mentioned before, insurance companies don't always play fair when they need to compensate you for broken bones caused by their insured's negligence. While such companies tend to use different tactics to evade financial responsibility, these three are the most common. 

Delay 

The insurance provider may delay your claim hoping that you'll give up your pursuit for compensation. This is especially common in cases involving serious physical injuries, such as broken bones. These companies know that you're in so much pain. As a result, you may not be able to keep up with the complex processes when you need to pursue your claim. 

When you're in pain caused by broken bones, all you want is to feel better. But the problem begins when your bills start to pile. For example, if your doctor determines that you need surgery, your health insurance might only cover a portion of the expenses. You know how expensive it is to visit a doctor for basic treatment, let alone surgery. 

Remember, when you have several broken bones, you may not be able to go to work or take care of yourself. While you might be able to secure medical leave from your employer, it will only last a couple of weeks. That aside, what happens if you're self-employed? Who will pay for your bills when you cannot go to work due to your injuries?

When that happens, the insurer will hope that you'll become increasingly frustrated and desperate for money. They'll then offer a low-ball settlement once they realize that you're desperate. They know that you may not be able to negotiate at such a time because you're desperately in need of money to settle your bills. When you sign the Release of Settlement agreement, the case will be officially closed, and you may not have the chance to sue the other party over the same injury again. 

Deny

Some insurance companies might simply deny your claim. For example, they could claim that you didn't seek medical attention on time. This is why it's always important to seek medical attention right after an accident caused by someone else's negligence. 

Some may even focus on technicalities and details you don't understand. As a result, the burden of proof will weigh heavier on your side. For example, if you didn't report the incident on time, it may be difficult but not impossible to recover compensation for your injuries. Your attorney will have to investigate the case and develop valid reasons why you didn't report the injury on time as required by law. 

In personal injury cases, you do not want to give the defendant a chance to free themselves from liability. When there's a reason to dispute your claim, it gives the insurer an added advantage by creating a take-it-or-leave-it situation. You'll most likely fail to pocket the compensation you need and deserve to manage your injuries when that happens. 

Defend

Although this is usually the last option, it is still a possibility in the list of tactics insurance companies use to avoid liability. If the two parties fail to settle the claim out of court, the insurance company might decide to defend itself in a court of law. 

Sometimes, insurance companies may threaten you with court hearings, knowing that you don't have an attorney. In addition, they know that the court process usually takes time. As a result, many personal injury victims give up their cases halfway. Having an attorney to fight for you is one of the surest ways to combat these tactics insurance companies use to avoid responsibility.

The human body has 206 bones, each playing a unique role in ensuring the proper functioning of the body. However, some bones play more significant roles than others, depending on your lifestyle or profession. For example, for a long-distance runner, a broken bone in their finger might not be as devastating as multiple broken bones in their legs. 

But the same broken finger could be devastating for a mail delivery person or a construction worker. The bottom line is that the value of injuries varies from case to case. You can count on an experienced broken bones attorney to evaluate your injuries and calculate the most reasonable compensation you may be entitled to. The medical expenses aside, the attorney might also consider additional damages such as:

• Pain and suffering
• Loss of wages
• Loss of future earning potential
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Long term care
• Cost of personal care, transportation, household duties
• Future medical expenses 

And so on.

With these factors in mind, your attorney will then reach out to the other party to negotiate a reasonable settlement.

It's important to know when to accept or reject a settlement offer from an insurance company. Insurance providers typically make 'low-ball settlements' as the initial offer. They'll do this without admitting fault.

Without legal advice, your first instinct will be to accept the payment and close the case. Quite honestly, that's precisely what the insurance company hopes you'll do. This is because they want to close the case as much as you do, but not for the same reasons.

To you, chances are you're exhausted by the back and forth processes of pursuing a claim. You're probably in so much pain after the injury and unable to take care of yourself or your loved ones. In addition, your bills keep piling up, and you've exhausted your savings.

On the other hand, the insurance company may provide the initial low-ball offer because they know how desperate you are for money. Additionally, they know that the sooner they close the case, the slimmer your chances of hiring an attorney to fight for your rights. They also know that when you hire an attorney, chances are you may recover way more than the initial settlement offer.

These two scenarios show how selfish insurance companies can be despite making billions of dollars every year. Their reasons for closing the case are never the same as the victim's.

An experienced broken bones attorney will not accept the initial settlement offer, especially if it does not match the value of your claim. Rejecting the initial settlement offer sends a strong warning to the insurance company that you won't settle for less than you deserve. As a result, the insurance company will most likely negotiate a better settlement. Your attorney will represent you throughout the process to ensure that you receive the compensation you deserve.

While there are many personal injury law firms in Chicago, nothing beats the peace of mind that comes with working with the country's best and biggest injury law firm. At Morgan & Morgan, we have an army of over 1,000 attorneys ready to fight for your rights. Whether it's a case of premises liability, car accident, slip and fall, or anything else, we have the right attorney to handle your case. All you have to do is call our Chicago office at (312) 706-0550 to speak with a representative or drop us a message online for a free, no-obligation case evaluation.