Sometimes it Pays to Get a Second Opinion on Your Legal Matter!

BRW attorney Mark Wolfe recently helped a client that had her auto-crash claim turned down by a law firm that advertises heavily on TV and billboards. Ms. B. had called the TV law firm right after her crash. A man had run a stop sign and hit her car. She suffered injuries to her foot and ankle as well as bruises to her chest from the seat belt and she had a neck strain. The TV law firm declined her potential claim because the accident report stated the at-fault driver did not have liability insurance. Also, it appeared that Ms B. did not have uninsured motorist coverage* for her auto-policy on her car. On the recommendation of a friend, Ms. B. contacted Mark Wolfe who conducted an insurance coverage investigation. He was able to locate coverage for Ms. B.’s injury claim and prosecuted the claim on her behalf. Wolfe, stated, “because some of the TV law firms work on such a high volume of potential cases through their intake centers, they miss or do not have time to dig a little deeper to try and find coverage.” He went on to say, “TV lawyers and law firms certainly have a place in our legal community and they can be a good option for smaller or less complex claims and cases, but sometimes their intake protocol and review procedures don’t fit every matter.” As Ms. B. found out, sometimes it pays to get a second legal opinion on your claim or case!

If you have a personal injury matter and would like a free consultation with Mark Wolfe or any of the BRW lawyers, please call Mark today at 251 410-7761 or text him at 251 533-9548. Consultations are free and our lawyers are licensed to practice in Alabama, Mississippi, Florida and Georgia.

*Ala Code Section 32-7-23 requires all policies of automobile insurance sold in Alabama to provide uninsured motorist (UM) coverage UNLESS it is specifically rejected in writing on the application. Without the noted rejection of  UM coverage, it will be afforded.

 

REQUIRED DISCLAIMERS: Alabama Rule of Professional Conduct 7.2: No representation is made that the quality of legal service to be performed is greater than the services provided by other lawyers. The Mississippi Supreme Court advises that a decision on legal services is important and should not be based solely on advertisements. Free background information is available upon request to a Mississippi attorney. The listing of any area of practice by a Mississippi attorney does not indicate any certification of expertise therein. See Mississippi Rules of Professional Conduct Rule 7.2(d), Rule 7.4(a), Rule 7.6(a) (1997). Statement in compliance with Florida Bar Advertising Rules: “The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely upon advertisements. Before you decide, ask us to send you free written information about our qualifications and experience. [Florida Rule 4-7.2(d)]. General Disclaimer: This information is posted for general information purposes to help those interested parties or persons with potential civil claims better understand their rights and potential causes of action. If readers are currently represented by an attorney on the subject matter of this post then they are encouraged to continue with said representation. No attorney-client relationship is established by this post.

 

 

 

Personal Injury Claim? It Pays to Get a Second Opinion

Marcus and Latoya Golden

When Latoya Golden’s 17-year-old son Marcus was injured in a car crash, she decided to use a TV lawyer to help her son with his case. After several months of not hearing any follow up, she finally got a call: the attorney wanted to simply settle the claim. “When he told me he was going to settle I was happy at first,” she said. “But then he told me how much would be left for Marcus after attorney fees and medical bills, and I felt it was just too low.” Over the next few weeks as the attorney continued pushing for a settlement, Latoya decided it was time for fresh advice.  She opted for a second opinion on her personal injury claim and took her son’s case to Mark Wolfe of Boteler Richardson Wolfe – Injury Lawyers. After the meeting with Mark, the case file was transferred to him.

“Marcus’ claim was interesting in that he had health insurance, but the hospital that treated his injuries opted not to bill it,” said Wolfe. “Instead, they filed a hospital lien against his insurance claim for the full balance of their service.”  Wolfe advises this is not uncommon in car crash cases, but often the lien can be negotiated down to the same amount as the health insurance provider would have paid.  In addition, Marcus had other damages that had not been previously documented when the other lawyer had presented the claim.  “When I took on the case, I felt confident we could get the hospital lien reduced and the overall settlement amount increased. Our fee was only charged against the additional benefit we won for Marcus.”

He was right. After several weeks of work, Mark was able to double the amount of money Marcus recovered from his accident.  Wolfe credits a team effort to pull together a great client result. “Our staff is used to navigating the technicalities of hospital liens and negotiating reductions for their repayment,” he said.  “When a firm like ours has years of litigation experience in car crash cases and a record of meaningful verdicts and settlements – insurance companies realize who they’re working with.  That experience helps to convince a claims adjustor to rethink… and up the offer on a settlement.”

None of this was lost on Latoya, who was quite happy with the result for her son.  “Marcus can now afford a car to help him with transportation, and when he turns 19, he’ll get another check,” she said enthusiastically.  When asked about her experience with the two lawyers, she described the difference as night and day.  “Mr. Wolfe and his office kept us informed every step of the way. He told us what he was going to try and do and how he thought he could benefit Marcus. He was always available to answer my questions. I felt like the other lawyer just wanted to get my son’s claim over with as quickly as possible and wasn’t really concerned about helping Marcus.”

The Alabama Rules of Professional Conduct allow attorneys to provide second opinions about a legal matter. If you would like a second opinion about the value of your personal injury claim or case call Mark Wolfe today at 251 410-7761 to discuss the proper protocol and procedure to get a second opinion. 

Car Crash Insurance Claim Questions? We have the answers.

Car Crash Insurance Claim Questions? We have the answers.

The Guide for Auto-Crash Insurance Claims – Ala edition is a comprehensive 16 page booklet that provides car crash victims all the information they need to know about their auto-crash insurance claims. This consumer booklet was written by an attorney with over 30 years of experience in presenting and prosecuting auto-crash insurance claims. This free guide covers the following areas:

– What to do at the accident scene,
– The two types of auto-crash insurance claims and how the claim process works,
– The various insurance coverages that may be available,
– Property damage claims,
– Personal Injury and Wrongful Death claims,
– How insurance companies use computer programs to help evaluate claims (and what you need to know about these programs!),
– Information about consulting with and/or hiring a lawyer for your claim, AND
– What you need to know about giving a recorded statement to the insurance company.

This guide was written by Mark Wolfe of Boteler Richardson Wolfe – Injury Lawyers and has been distributed to over 5,000 people. When asked about the purpose of the guide Wolfe said, “the main purpose is to educate consumers about the auto-crash insurance claim process because it’s not as simple as people may think.” He also said, “over the years I have seen too many claims that were compromised because the claimant was trying to handle the claim without an attorney AND without knowing how the process worked or knowing their rights.”

When asked about the public’s biggest misconceptions about the auto-crash insurance claim process he said, “There are really three main misconceptions or misunderstandings. First, most people don’t realize the process is adversarial. This means the insurance company has no duty or obligation to help you present your claim. Second, most people do not know or understand the various insurance coverages that may be available to them and how to effectively utilize those coverages, and finally, many claimants do not know that they have the burden of proving every aspect of their claim pursuant to the applicable legal standards.” Wolfe says these problems can often result in the denial or underpayment of a claim and that’s the main reasons he wrote the guide.

“Not every car crash insurance claim requires the hiring of an attorney, but if you’re not going to get a free consultation with an attorney after your crash, you should at least know your rights,” said Wolfe.

The publication can be downloaded free at brwlawyers.com or a hard copy can be ordered by calling their office at 251 433-7766 or emailing Mark directly at mark@brwlawyers.com or send him a text at 251 533-9548.   CONSULTATIONS ARE FREE

 

REQUIRED DISCLAIMERS: Alabama Rule of Professional Conduct 7.2: No representation is made that the quality of legal service to be performed is greater than the services provided by other lawyers. The Mississippi Supreme Court advises that a decision on legal services is important and should not be based solely on advertisements. Free background information is available upon request to a Mississippi attorney. The listing of any area of practice by a Mississippi attorney does not indicate any certification of expertise therein. See Mississippi Rules of Professional Conduct Rule 7.2(d), Rule 7.4(a), Rule 7.6(a) (1997). Statement in compliance with Florida Bar Advertising Rules: “The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely upon advertisements. Before you decide, ask us to send you free written information about our qualifications and experience. [Florida Rule 4-7.2(d)]. General Disclaimer: This information is posted for general information purposes to help those interested parties or persons with potential civil claims better understand their rights and potential causes of action. If readers are currently represented by an attorney on the subject matter of this post then they are encouraged to continue with said representation. No attorney-client relationship is established by this post.