Information For Injury Lawyers

Determining which attorneys are at the top of the profession and which are closer to the bottom isn't always an easy task. The key to finding legitimate top rated attorneys is utilizing a service which provides unbiased ratings and exclusive criteria for rankings and awards. Super Lawyers is such a service, and they provide a variety of mechanisms to help individuals sort through the mess and find a potential attorney for representation. Currently, Super Lawyers provides two separate award lists which are offered for dozens of different markets, including statewide lists and large city, metro area or regional lists. Super Lawyers actually has an intensive, patented selection process to determine their awards and their entire top rated attorneys for different. The step by step process includes formal and informal nominations, and research to obtain a candidate pool. Lawyers Berges Law Group, P.A is a boutique multi-jurisdictional law firm based in south Florida. Our practice is foc...

After an accident, the injured person may not be able to work and may even lose his or her job. Paying for rent or mortgage, monthly bills, car repairs, or holiday gifts becomes very difficult and the bill collectors start to call, adding great frustration and anxiety to the pain from the accident injuries. If you were injured in an accident and have financial stress, you may be considering taking out a pre-settlement loan or cash advance through a company that advertises on TV or the Internet.  In the ads, these loans sound great:  quick turn around, so you get your money fast; non-recourse, which means that if you don't get a settlement or win your case, you don't have to pay the money back.  It almost seems like free money, right? The pre-settlement loan or cash advance is not "free money."  The money is only given to injured people who have lawyers.  Your lawyer must give a lot of information to the loan company about your accident, the insurance, the liabil...

If you are injured in a car accident, you may miss time from work because you are in pain.  You may also miss work time for doctor, chiropractor or physical therapy appointments.  Documentation of your missed time from work should be submitted to the liability insurance carrier as an important part of your accident claim.  If you have pain that prevents you from working, you need to obtain an excuse from work from your doctor.  The written excuse should be given to your boss or HR Department.  Keep a copy to submit to the liability insurance carrier.  If you need to stay off work longer, be sure to return to the doctor to get another excuse.  Once you are able to return to work and can work all of your normal hours, you are ready to document your lost work time for the liability carrier. The best way to document your lost time from work is to obtain a letter from your employer stating the days and hours you missed due to the accident.  The letter ...

Uninsured motorists coverage is insurance that you purchase to protect yourself if you are injured in an accident and the at-fault driver does not have insurance.  You can choose (and will pay for) the amount of this coverage.  Verify with your insurance agent the amount of the policy limit of your current uninsured motorist coverage.  Then imagine how much money you may need if you are injured in a serious accident with an uninsured motorist.  You might have a fracture or need surgery.   Would $50,000 be enough?  $100,000?  $250,000?  More?  Of course the amount depends on injuries and medical bills, but considering the high cost of medical services and the fact that you could be off work for some time,  it is worth looking into purchasing the higher amounts of UM coverage.  Some people also purchase an umbrella policy which could cover up to a million dollars.  If you have an umbrella policy or are thinking of buying one...

If you are injured an accident that was not your fault, you expect the insurance carrier for the at-fault driver (the liability carrier) to pay your medical bills as they are incurred.  The usual bills are for the Emergency Room, the ambulance, X-rays, visits with your primary doctor, your medications, physical therapy, chiropractic care, massage therapy and/or acupuncture.  You might have bills for a specialist, a surgeon or injections.  The bills keep coming, but the liability carrier generally does not pay as these bills are incurred.  Even if the liability adjuster says they will "take care of it," they actually pay only when you are ready to settle your case. This could be months or years after the accident!  You need to find a way to finance your care until you are ready to settle.  Assuming you do not have money in savings to pay for your care, the resources which can be used are: Medical pay coverage under your own auto insurance; Your own heal...

Many people injured in car accidents do not speak English as their first language.  These accident victims may speak limited English or no English at all.   If the lawyer speaks only English, the injured parties can be left with many unanswered questions or misunderstandings about the claims process. It is somewhat helpful if the injured party brings a relative or a friend to interpret, but the relative may not have the language skill, experience and maturity needed in a legal matter, leading to problems in communication between the injured party and the lawyer. The injured party can avoid all this by choosing to hire a good law firm with a bi-lingual attorney on staff.  In this way, communication will be greatly enhanced.  Make sure that the bi-lingual attorney has experience in personal injury cases before hiring him or her. A certified court interpreter must be used to interpret at a deposition or in court.  "Certified" means that the interpreter has pas...

After a high speed accident, the occupants of the cars may suffer well-known injuries such as whiplash of the neck; shoulder injuries sometimes necessitating surgery;  upper, middle and low back injuries; hip, arm or leg injuries;  broken bones, abrasions and contusions. Lesser known symptoms caused by accidents include chest and hip trauma caused by seatbelts, broken ribs, swelling and stiffness of the neck affecting swallowing and turning the head, headaches including traumatically induced migraines.   Accident victims often have difficulty sleeping due to discomfort. Head trauma, concussion and mild traumatic brain damage can also be caused by a car accident.  These injuries can cause severe headaches or migraines, difficulty concentrating, difficulty remembering facts and conversations, emotional and personality changes.  A brain injury may even erase an entire area of brain functioning like ability to use numbers or ability to read. Psychological symptoms i...