MVA Total Loss

Q. I was injured and my car was totaled by a young man that ran a red light. I would like to try to handle the claim on my own since it is clear who was at fault. Isn’t the Insurance Company going to treat me fairly and make a fair settlement since I was not at fault?

A. NO! Insurance companies love to try to take advantage of people before they have a chance to talk to an attorney. Most insurance companies will even try to encourage you to not even talk to an attorney before settling the claim. They use fear “The lawyer will take one-third of this check we’re about to pay you just for talking to them” to talk you out of getting good advice. All insurance companies know that if you hire a good, qualified lawyer the value of your case increases dramatically. If not, why would they care if you hired a lawyer?

You may not need an attorney to represent you in your case. No one, however, should settle a case without understanding the claims process and how insurance companies work to try to pay as little on your claim as possible. Typically the insurance adjuster isn’t going to tell you that you might have to turn around and take the check they just paid you and pay it to your health insurance company. They don’t care about you or whether your claim is settled fairly. The adjuster just wants to close the file and get you to release all of your claims for the least amount of money possible.

There are many other matters you need to be aware of when trying to handle your own claim. I have written a free Book entitled TEXAS AUTOMOBILE INJURY HANDBOOK that explains in detail what the typical claim involves; what you need to do to properly handle your claim and what to look out for when dealing with Insurance Companies.

If you have any questions or would like one of my free books entitled TEXAS AUTOMOBILE INJURY HANDBOOK or a free ACCIDENT INFORMATION CARD please feel free to e-mail my office at info@kerrycollinslaw.com or kcpc@txis.net. You can also call me at 817/335-9700.

The Law Offices of Kerry H. Collins, P.C.*

1301 Ballinger Street Fort Worth, Texas 76102 (817) 335-9700

(877) 988-1603 Toll free kcpc@txis.net

info@kerrycollinslaw.com www.kerrycollinslaw.com

*Kerry H. Collins is Board Certified in Personal Injury
Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization