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 Claims: What Are “Value Drivers?”

Today most major automobile insurance companies use some form of Computer Assisted Claim Evaluation Program to help them establish a “value” for a personal injury claim. These programs evaluate data about the injury claim and then provide the adjuster with a value or compensation amount they should pay the victim. Depending on the company, adjusters may have to strictly follow the evaluation or they may be able to offer more than the program’s “evaluation.”  Desktop Computer Free vector in Adobe Illustrator ai ( .AI ), Encapsulated PostScript eps ( .EPS ) format for free download 3.28MB

Central to all of these programs are value-drivers. These are certain facts or factors that are input into the program. A value-driver can be either positive or negative. Meaning they can either increase the amount of compensation the victim receives or reduce the amount of compensation the victim receives. These programs can evaluate thousands of different value drivers. Even for a simple auto-crash injury claim there can be over 100 value drivers analyzed by these programs.

Obviously the diagnosis code for an injury is an important value driver but so are the treatment codes as well as the timing of the treatment. The “value” of a diagnosis code may also depend on what type of doctor made the diagnosis. A delay in care or a gap in treatment can be a negative value driver as well as inconsistent pain complaints in the medical records. Many times these negative value drivers can be limited or overridden by the adjuster but he or she has strict criteria or guidelines on what documents and/or facts must be presented to limit the negative value driver.

If you have a serious injury claim from a car crash, you need a law firm that understands Computer Assisted Claim Evaluation programs and knows how to properly document all of the positive value drivers and limit the negative value drivers. At Boteler Richardson Wolfe we’ve been helping car crash victims present and prosecute their insurance claims for over 30 years. We know and understand Computer Assisted Claim Evaluation Programs better than most attorneys. We can help you get the full compensation you deserve! Give us a call today: 251 433-7766 or email Mark Wolfe at mark@brwlawyers today for a free consultation.

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.

Hurt on the job? Ten things you need to know about Alabama workers compensation laws.

INJURED WORKER’S RIGHTS IN ALABAMA

by Mark Wolfe – Attorney at Law

Boteler Richardson Wolfe – Injury Attorneys

1. You can not be terminated by your employer solely because you make a claim for worker’s compensation benefits.

2. You have a right to receive wage compensation benefits within 30 days after the benefits are determined to be due.

3. You have a right to have all undisputed medical bills paid by your employer, and/or its insurance carrier, within 25 days of submission.

4. Depending on the nature and extent of your injury, you have the right to vocational retraining or vocational rehabilitation if necessary.

5. You have a right to a second medical opinion at the employer’s expense. Upon request, the employer, or its worker’s compensation insurance carrier, must provide you with the names of four other doctors for you to choose from for your second medical opinion.

6. You have a right to have any settlement for wage or medical benefits approved by Court. In most instances, court approval is required.

7. You have a right to free assistance on your worker’s compensation claim from the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations via the Omsbudman Program: 1 800 528-5166.

8. You have the right to prosecute your worker’s compensation claim in Court.

9. You have a right to hire your own attorney to assist you in the presentation and/or prosecution of your claim based upon a limited contingency fee. The contingency fees in worker’s compensation claims is limited to 15% plus expenses and is only paid if wage benefits are recovered.

10. You have a right to bring a liability claim or case against a third party responsible for causing your on the job injury. Third party meaning someone other than your employer and/or a co- worker who may have caused your work related injury.

Download our free guide to Alabama workers compensation claims 

If you would like a free consultation with Mark (or any of our attorneys) about your workers compensation claim, please email him at mark@brwlawyers.com or send a text to 251 533-9548 (cell). You can also call Mark directly at 251 410-7761.

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.