Expert: Bennie719 - 5/7/2008

Question
settled on damage to auto directly w/ their adjuster who is
also handeling bodily claim,minor lower back injury.havent worked for over 30 days,going for MRI still,if I show copy of,diagnose,proof of income loss,Dr.'s note etc. today , what can I expect to be offered. I have evetnhg he wants see.We've had many long phone calls , and get along well. I have good insurance, and had no other contact ecept for  getting the claim #.

Answer
************************** FOLLOW UP *******************************
Hi Ken,
The statue of limitations to settle a personal injury claim in Washington without having to file a lawsuit is 3 years.
Bennie

Hi Ken,
Rushing you into a quick settlement is a favorite trick of insurance companies.....don't fall for it.
You will not be ready to settle your claim until you are back at work and have fully recovered from your injury.
The value of your injury claim is based on many factors, including but not limited to the following:
The total of all your medical bills or 'specials'.  This includes any ER visit, any x-rays, ct scans or an mri, your medical doctor visits,
prescribed physical therapy, prescription drugs, the cost of travel to secure medical treatment at $0.465 per mile, your documented net wage loss and the severity of the injury.  Severity of injury includes whether you will still need future treatment after the claim is settled, if you will suffer any permanent disabilities and if the injury will require a change in jobs or have an impact on your lifestyle.
I strongly recommend that you do not treat with a Chiropractor, as this will reduce the value of your claim by at least 50%.

Every state has a statue of limitations in which the claim must be settled or a lawsuit filed to extend the time limits.  If the accident happened in Tennessee, Kentucky or Louisiana, the statue limit is one year.  Twenty two states have a statue limit of two years and the remainder have limits varying from 3-6 years.
If you will send me a follow up  with the state in which this accident occurred, I will reply with the statue limitations for that state.

Once you are back at work and have recovered 100% from your injuries and have full knowledge if there will be any future medical treatment related to the accident or any disability or change in lifestyle, you can send me a PRIVATE follow up and I will assist you in determining the value of your claim.

I hope that you have found this information useful.
Your feedback by rating my answer will be appreciated.

Sincerely,
Bennie
San Francisco Bay Area