Personal Injury Insurance Claim Attorney with 40+ Years Experience
Do you have a personal injury insurance claim in Mission Viejo Irvine or Orange County California? It is important to work with an experienced, highly recommended personal injury attorney to ensure you receive the maximum compensation to which you are entitled under California law.
What should you look for if you have a personal injury insurance claim? There are several specific traits to look for in a personal injury lawyer:
Trial Experience – it is important for you to know that insurance companies carefully track personal injury attorneys. They keep careful records regarding the actual trial experience of each attorney (if any), the skills they possess and the verdicts they have achieved. Insurance companies are concerned with one thing: risk. They face their highest risk whenever a case is placed before a jury. The insurance industry keeps extensive records on each personal injury attorney. They know an experienced trial attorney is not afraid to put your case before a jury to make sure you receive the just compensation you deserve.
Insurance companies know which attorneys have the skill and resources to take them to trial and which lawyers will settle their cases for less. Insurance companies always purposefully make a low offer initially. They review your attorney’s trial experience and verdicts (or the lack thereof). A significant amount of high profile injury attorneys settle every case they take, and often for much less than what their clients could have received. Insurance company representatives and attorneys will take advantage of that information and lawyers who settle all their cases when making their offers and ultimately negotiating a resolution to your case.
How do we know this? I worked for the major insurance companies for the first 20 years of my career. I personally know their tactics and strategies. This inside experience and knowledge combined with my trial skills and track record of success helps me to achieve much better results for my clients.
Genuine Recognition from the Legal Industry – There are many genuine sources of recognition the legal industry offers to exceptional attorneys. There are dozens and dozens of so-called “awards” which lawyers put on their websites which require nothing but a small payment to receive. How can you tell the difference? The major legal industry awards in personal injury include:
Super Lawyers – Recognition of the top 5% of Attorneys in their areas of practice by the largest legal service entity in the world
AV Rating – Martindale Hubbel is another large provider of legal research and information tools to attorneys and law firms. They offer a peer review system which rates attorneys. Look for an “AV” rating.
American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) – ABOTA is an invitation only organization which requires exceptionally high standards of legal skill, trial experience and successful outcomes
Avvo Awards – Avvo has become a large legal portal for consumers and offers recognition to attorneys who provide exceptional customer service based upon actual client reviews.
Strong Client Reviews – look for an established record of client reviews over a period of many years. Always check the actual source of the review (Google, Avvo, etc.) to make sure lower score reviews have not been omitted.
Statute of limitations and Minors who are Injured in an Accident
A recent case emphasizes the importance of early contact with an attorney. In general, for personal injury cases there is a 2 year statute of limitations. However, for minors (those under age 18), the statute does not begin to run until they turn 18. That is, if they are injured when they are 12, they will have up to the time they turn 20 (or 8 more years) to file their lawsuit.
Exceptions with Uninsured Motorist (UM) Claims and Under-Insured Motorist (UIM) Claims and the Claims of Minors
However, this does not apply in the context of an Uninsured Motorist Claim, or Underinsured Motorist Claim. In the recent case of Blankenship vs. Allstate, a 13 year old boy was injured in an accident. An Uninsured Motorist Claim (UM) was involved. The Insurance Code has specific requirements to present a UM claim, requiring things to be done within 2 years of the accident. Most people would think that since the injured person was a minor, that therefore the minor has 2 years after he turns 18 to do these things. However, the court disagreed, and concluded that since the minor did not do the things required by the Insurance Code to present a UM claim within 2 years of the accident, that statute of limitations had run, and therefore it was too late for the minor.
Too often we see clients waiting on Uninsured Motorist Claims, or Underinsured Motorist Claims, thinking that their insurance company is working with them, and will assist them in the claim. This is not always the case. When clients wait, hoping to rely on their insurance company to help them, they often end up losing some of their rights to recover.
Contact an Experienced and Highly Recommended Insurance Personal Injury Insurance Claim Lawyer
If you or a friend, or family member, have been injured because of any event, and would like to discuss your rights or how to handle an insurance personal injury claim from the insurance company of the responsible party we invite you to:
Review the Strong Recommendations of our Former Clients- Check out the Recommendations of the Legal Industry
- Call 949-305-1400 to Speak With Me Personally for a FREE CONSULTATION
- Contact our Office via E-Mail
There is no cost to you or your family out of pocket. We work on a contingency fee basis.