Baton Rouge Personal Injury Attorney

The Benefits of Working With Our Firm

There are many advantages to working with a firm that is well versed in the accident claims process in Louisiana. The most important thing to remember is that our client-first law firm is dedicated to seeking maximum compensation for every case we take on. Monetary awards can include recovery for both economic and non-economic losses. While economic damage is easier to quantify, non-economic damage can be equally or even more devastating in the long run. We have helped our clients recover compensation for:

• Physical therapy
• Medical bills
• Prescription medication
• In-home medical equipment
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of quality of life
• Damage to property

We will review all of the details of your case before determining the actual settlement value. In the event that an insurance company won’t offer fair and just compensation for your damages, our skilled litigators will bring them to court. Our goal is to fight for our client's rights after an accident, and we are dedicated to maximizing the value of your claim.

People will often delay speaking with a law firm because they believe the cost of legal help is unaffordable. When you’re already facing a mounting pile of medical bills and the insurance company is slow to process your claim, taking on another financial burden can be incredibly intimidating.

We can assuage this concern by explaining how our fee structure works. We take personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis. This means that you won’t pay us any money up front or out of your pocket, but only if a settlement is reached for your case>. Remember that we offer free consultations, so it is always to your benefit to meet with one of our team of legal professionals to go through the details of your case. We can help put the entire process in perspective and take a great weight off during this difficult time.

How to Manage Working With Insurance Companies

One of the most complicated and potentially confusing parts of the accident claims process is working with insurance companies. Insurance money helps offset the expensive cost of medical treatment and subsidizes lost wages due to time off work during recovery. Most people rely on their insurance company to offer a fair settlement package after an accident.

Although you might consider these companies to be advocating for your fair compensation, unfortunately, they are working to maintain their own financial profits. This means that while you have paid into the system that is meant to protect you in the event of an accident, there is still work to do in order to collect monetary returns for your damages. The insurance company will do its best to minimize the value of your claim, and this is an area that the general population is ill-equipped to deal with.

We often see insurance companies attempt to:

• Ask injured victims to make a recorded statement after the accident with the hopes that something they say will hurt their case. This is dangerous territory because even if you believe you are answering to the best of your ability, insurance companies often twist your own words a way to disprove your claim.
• Take an unreasonably extended amount of time to process your claim. These delays can add unnecessary stress for those who rely on a settlement to pay for medical bills and supplement their wages while they are unable to work. This delay tactic is often meant to encourage accident victims to take a lower settlement offer. Don’t fall prey to this maneuver—Stewart J. Guss Personal Injury Lawyers has years of experience working to expedite the claims process for thousands of cases.
• Make an initial offer for much less than what your injuries cost you. The insurance company wants to minimize its financial output, which means that it will often attempt to send you a settlement offer that is way below the actual value of your claim. This is especially true when accident victims have not retained an experienced law firm. The insurance companies frequently take this as an opportunity to settle quickly and for much less money than you are entitled to.

We advise that our clients remain silent during the initial stages of communication with the insurance company. Remember:

• Retain the services of an experienced law firm as soon as possible after an accident. The insurance companies are hoping that you delay speaking with a lawyer so that they can attempt to convince you to take a lower settlement offer.
• Never speak with a representative from the insurance company unless you have your legal team present. The insurance company will often ask questions meant to discredit your claim. Any statement you provide could end up hurting your chances for fair compensation.
• Keep detailed notes and records on all events surrounding the accident. You can discuss these with your legal team, who will use this information to support your claim.

This is a lot of information to remember, and the stakes are high when speaking with the insurance company. It’s best if you remove yourself from communication with the insurance company and let an experienced team of attorneys and legal professionals take over this important piece of the process. This way, you can focus on recovering from your injuries without the added stress of speaking with the insurance company.