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.
These people generally appear fine and gush about what a financial windfall the lawyer got them for their injury claim. The problem is the fine print disclaimers that accompany the commercials usually scroll across the screen so quickly, or are so small, you can’t read them. Many people don’t even see them, let alone read them. Here’s a compilation of some of these disclaimers from some recent TV lawyer ads in our area: – Dramatization: Not an actual case. – Not an actual client testimonial or based upon a specific case. – Actor portrayal, not a real client or case. – The monetary result referenced is not from an actual case. – The monetary recoveries referenced are not typical of most injury claims and [law firm name omitted] in no way guarantees or promises similar results for specific injury claims. – Not a typical injury case recovery. – Not a real client or case result. – Not an actual case result or recovery. [Law firm name omitted] processes claims and cases via a referral to an affiliate law firm. Referral law firms are solely responsible for claim and case presentation and remit a portion of the attorney fees to [law firm name omitted.] – Actor and/or spokesperson is compensated for services and any reference to financial recoveries are of non-typical personal injury matters. – Actual results may vary. Not licensed to practice law in Alabama. Legal? Maybe. But doesn’t this smell of deception? A commercial runs with a “client” boasting of a huge financial recovery but hidden in the commercial is one of the above fine print disclaimers stating the results are not true or not typical. Seems like the old bait and switch sales tactics used by shady salesmen of days gone by. Trust between an attorney and his or her client is critical to a good relationship. Clients must rely on and trust their attorney to help them through a difficult time. There is a better way to go about hiring a personal injury attorney. Here’s a link to an article about how to hire the right personal injury attorney for your claim or case.