So, you or a loved one has been in a motorcycle collision in Charlotte. Now you are wondering how to get the claim resolved and for how much. Read on and learn some things that are important when settling your claim.
Your spouse decided on a beautiful fall day to ride out to the Harley Davidson store on Independence Blvd. to buy a new helmet. After purchasing the helmet, the plan is to meet up with you at Bojangles Arena & Ovens Auditorium parking lot to meet and go to see The Harlem Globe Trotters play. As your spouse proceeds North on Independence Blvd., a piano falls off the truck ahead, and your loved one was unable to avoid the piano, and a crash occurred.
A witness calls 911, EMS arrives, and takes your significant other to CMC main. The new helmet helped, and your spouse only has a mild concussion. Unfortunately, they also suffer terrible road rash over forty percent of their body, three fractured ribs, knee, broken ankle, hand, elbow, and shoulder. They also receive thirty-two stitches in the upper thigh. Your spouse is fortunate. You get the terrifying call and pray on your way to the hospital. Fortunately, doctors expect a full recovery from the broken bones minus the scar, mental trauma, early arthritis, etc.
Fast forward six months, and you all are walking out of the last doctor visit. The doctor said you are maximum medical improvement, and you don’t need to return unless you have a problem. Now what?
First off, if you have not already hired an experienced injury lawyer, you have made a mistake. Let me explain why. You have been talking with the insurance adjuster during this time. They do this for a living, and you do not. Your statements and those of your spouse are admissible against you; a lawyer’s is not. Oh, you say, well I was careful and did not say anything wrong, just gave them the facts. I love this one. Giving them the facts may be the problem. Or perhaps when they called, and your spouse answered the phone and they said, “hello, how are you,” and your spouse said naturally, “fine, thank you.” The insurance adjuster documented that they were doing fine that day when they were not. They just said what most of us say when greeted.
Have you determined all of the liable parties? The owner of the truck? The owner of the piano? The name of the company that loaded? Is the truck owner different than who leased it? What about the bed the piano came off of, is owned or leased by another company? Who employes the driver? Did you get witness statements, pictures, etc.? Let’s say one insurance company has a $100k policy, and they offered it to you? You know other insurance companies are also liable. Do you sign the release and take the money? If you do, you might waive the liability of the other because you signed a general release
The bottom line is if you go down this route, you have not maximized the value of your losses, nor have you protected yourself by finding and preserving the potential sources that you can and should recover from. Settling a case is as easy as signing the release and getting your check. It is also as hard as getting your claim denied and not getting a lawyer to help you because you have wasted the necessary time. You failed to gather the evidence, diminished damage value, or released some parties by signing things you should not have signed.
Do you want to put the maximum recovery in your pocket for your losses? Hire an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer in Charlotte, NC quickly and let them do their job, helping you.
