Many people tell me they've struggled to get a copy of their medical records. As a personal injury lawyer, I frequently deal with this issue and want you to know that under federal law, specifically the "Hi-Tech" law, you have the absolute right to access your medical records. The Hi-Tech law gives you two important protections: 1) the right to obtain your medical records without unreasonable delay; and, 2) the Read More
Injuries Do Not Have a “Value”
In personal injury cases, it's common to hear insurance adjusters or defense lawyers say "this kind of injury has a maximum value of $100,000" (or some other number). However, injuries themselves do not have a value. What truly matters is how the injury has affected your day-to-day activities and relationships. This matters even more than the physical pain you have experienced. The most important Read More
Recognizing PTSD Symptoms after a Car Crash
Many of my clients have had the misfortune of experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after a serious car crash, in addition to their other injuries. The sudden, terrifying, and life-threatening violence of a car crash creates the trigger for PTSD to develop. PTSD from a car crash is more than just feeling “shaken up.” PTSD leads to physical changes in the brain caused by stress hormones. The Centers Read More
THE POWER OF PERSONAL STORIES IN INJURY CLAIMS
There are two ways to find out what a personal injury case is worth. One is the insurancecompany way. The other is the way of the trial lawyer storyteller. Insurance companies value cases robotically. They add up the medical bills, make a tableof the diagnosis codes from the medical records, and then feed this data into software thatthey have developed. The software then spits out a dollar amount. To the insurance Read More
Road Rage — Can an Insurance Company Refuse to Pay for the Damage?
If another person in a road rage incident deliberately harms you, can the insurance company get out of paying for the damage? In some cases yes, because of something called “the intentional acts exclusion.” The intentional act exclusion means that if someone does something on purpose to harm someone else, the insurance company won't pay for it. For example, if someone decides to run someone else over with their car Read More
“Your Vehicle’s A Total Loss” —Five Secrets The Insurance Company Won’t Tell You.
After a car crash, it's crucial to understand how your insurance company determines the value of your totaled vehicle. Here are secrets behind the process—a data-driven calculation using proprietary software. 1. A Computer Determines Your Vehicle's Value To value your total loss vehicle, the insurance company relies on a computer. This automated process generates a value based on information about vehicles similar to Read More
Getting Medical Bills Paid After A Hit And Run Accident
There are thousands of hit and run accidents in Arizona each year. You may someday geta tearful call from a friend or family member telling you “I was in a hit and run. I’m inthe hospital. I have no idea how I am going to pay for this.” It may look like there is no insurance to pay the medical bills. However, there may beinsurance coverage. “Uninsured Motorist Insurance” If there is Uninsured Motorist insurance Read More
Arizona’s Seatbelt Laws—Balancing Public Safety and Personal Privacy
Arizona law requires the use of seatbelts when driving. Why? Is this a reasonable infringement upon personal choice?Arizona's Seatbelt LawsEach state makes its own laws about whether a seatbelt is required. Seatbelt laws have two classifications—a primary law or a secondary law. A primary law is one where a police officer can pull a driver over just for failing to wear a seatbelt. A secondary law is one where Read More
What is Underinsured Motorist Coverage? Should I have it?
In Arizona, the law requires that all drivers have the following minimum coverage for if they cause a car accident: $25,000 for bodily injuries per person $50,000 for bodily injuries per accident $15,000 for property damage Many drivers on the road have only this minimum coverage. However, if they injure someone in a serious accident, their coverage may not be enough to cover even the injured person’s hospital Read More
What is Uninsured Motorist Coverage? Should I have it?
In Arizona, the law requires that all drivers have the following minimum coverage for if they cause a car accident: $25,000 for bodily injuries per person $50,000 for bodily injuries per accident $15,000 for property damage However, some drivers on the road flout the law and drive with no insurance. If they injure someone in a serious accident, they have no coverage for the injured person’s medical bills, lost Read More
