AboutDoctor Settlement Expertise 27 years of front line plaintiff`s trial lawyer experience in PERSONAL INJURY INSURANCE CLAIMS. Along with other attorneys and insurance adjusters, we have created a website to help injured people settle their own personal injury claims. With the help from feedback from hundreds of satisfied members, www.settlementcentral.com has become THE AUTHORITY for Internet personal injury insurance claim settlements. I am humbled and honored if people can benefit from my experience and current volunteer work in helping injured people. I hope I can explain things in a manner that is useful for the questioner. If not, do not hesitate to e-mail me and I will take a second shot at it! Best Wishes for your physical and financial recovery.
Experience
Life Experience: 27 years of front line plaintiff's trial lawyer experience
Organizations: American Trial Lawyers Association (AAJ)
Washington State Trial Lawyers Association
Awards and Honors:
I am humbled and honored everytime I am selected to help injured people. And when people give feedback that they have benefited from my experience and current volunteer efforts, then that is a double honor and award for me.
Question How long does it take for settlement checks to arrive. We agreed on a settlement on Aug 26th sign everything yet we still dont have the settlement. Also with check 21, why does my lawyer have to wait 7-10 days before they issue our settlement amount?
Answer Hi Stacy,
First off, congratulations on getting a settlement; I hope it was a good one. Insurance claim settlements are Dr. Settlement's specialty, and I still get a thrill when the client gets JUST compensation for her injuries. But I also know the hassle of delays in getting the checks. Believe it or not, the attorneys also want the check just as much as you do since we have payroll to meet, etc.
After one wait of almost a month, I can remember having to send a staff member on a two hour drive to pick up the check so that we did not have to wait for the mail. So getting the cash after settlement always takes too long so far as I am concerned. First off, insurers like to hold on to the cash for each possible day inasmuch as they are earning money on the investment.
The insurance industry as a whole might be paying out tens of millions of dollars each month. Each day that they can delay the payment of those dollars saves hundreds of thousands of dollars in interest earned.
In my practice I sometimes insisted upon quick turnaround on issuing the check as part of the settlement, but often it does no good inasmuch as company "policy". This is something that one should take up with the state insurance commissioner, but of course once the cash does come, everyone is happy and no complaint is ever made. Should you wish to lodge a complaint, here is a link to the insurance commissioner http://www.settlementcentral.com/links.php
Doctor Settlement knows insurance claims and how to make a good settlement, but even I cannot speed up that darn process at their end. Although, I must say that I never did complain to the insurance commissioner--probably like everyone else, I was happy when the check finally came.
The check will go to the attorney so she can disburse in accordance with the settlement and the contract between you two. She has a fiduciary obligation to you, of course, but also there are obligations to deal with subrogation claims. And of course there are the costs incurred by her office to be paid. Hence, the attorney needs to coordinate all the details of disbursement.
One thing that you might ask about BEFORE you go in to see the attorney is for her to send you a copy of her proposed disbursement sheet so you can review it in the comfort of your home instead of feeling pressured in her office.
Another thing I would look out for is whether or not she is taking her fee on the net or the gross. Sometimes you can negotiate that with her, especially if the subrogation was obviously owing by the tortfeasor—i.e. no dispute about a $12,000 medical treatment cost.
In that case, either get her to negotiate a reduction in the subrogation or make a reduction in her fees. Here is how it works for good subrogation information http://www.settlementcentral.com/page0459.htm
See if she will at least try to get some reduction in your subrogation. If not, then argue that since the medical costs were NOT CONTESTED and since the make a BIG part of the settlement, why should you have to pay her a fee to collect them—ESPECIALLY since the money is not even going to you.
I trust that my extra time here has produced some information that has been of value to you, and thus I would respectfully request that you take the time to locate the FEEDBACK FORM on this site and leave some feedback for me.
