Car Accident Lawsuits

When you’re injured in a car accident, there are many things that go through your head:

• How badly am I injured?
• Will I ever get better?
• When will I be able to go back to work?
• Who is going to pay for all my medical bills?

Eventually, you start talking with the insurance companies. It’s at that point where most people realize that there’s a procedure you have to go through, and it’s complicated. There’s a landscape that you have to navigate in order to make sure that all your questions are answered and needs are met.

At Marcotte Law Firm, we’ve handled thousands, if not tens of thousands, of car accident cases over several decades. With that experience, here is a general outline of how personal injury cases progress:

In the immediate aftermath of a car accident injury, there are three main focuses:

1. First, you need to see your doctors and therapists. Since car insurance medical visits are treated differently than routine visits, there are often hoops you have to jump through just to see your doctor. At Marcotte Law Firm, we make sure that the doctor’s offices have all the information that they need to get you seen as soon as possible.
2. Second, if you’re out of work, you’re likely going to need any lost wages paid to you so you can pay your bills. We make sure your lost wages are getting processed as quickly as possible via your car’s Personal Injury Protection coverage.
3. Third, we make sure that your medical bills are processed properly. Depending on what kind of health insurance you have, many doctor’s offices get confused when there are multiple insurance companies that pay different portions of a bill. At Marcotte Law Firm, we make sure that your bills are paid and not sent to collection agencies.

After you’re done with treatment, whether you’re back to normal or have a permanent injury, the second phase is putting your case together and sending it to the insurance company. This can take some time, as we have to make sure we have every medical record and medical bills, as well as all lost wage proof. Sometimes doctors and hospitals are not as efficient in providing that information as you would like.

In certain circumstances, we also need to make sure that your car insurance and health insurance companies have processed your medical bills. Because of the nature of insurance, this can sometimes take months.

After we send your information to the insurance company along with a demand for settlement, the insurance company makes an offer to resolve your case. These offers are based on many variables, so we must make sure that the insurance company has everything right and they’re not missing anything.

Then we negotiate with the insurance companies to try to resolve your case. Sometimes it works, but other times it doesn’t. If it does work, we recommend the settlement to you, and you can decide whether to accept or reject it. If you accept it, paperwork is signed and the case is closed soon after. If you reject it, we go to Court.

There are pros and cons to rejecting an offer and filing a lawsuit. While we make recommendations as your attorney, it is ultimately your decision how to proceed. If we decide that going to court is the best option, it starts a long, and sometimes costly process. The litigation process can be broken down into three phases:

1. First, there’s the written exchange of information. This is when both sides get to ask written questions of each other. This is also when both sides exchange documents and also get the opportunity to request documents from third parties
2. Second, there are depositions. This is when attorneys get to ask questions directly to both the parties and witnesses. They get to ask questions about all parts of the case so that everyone gets a chance to tell their story.
3. Finally, there is a trial in front of a judge or a jury.

When you’re in the Litigation Phase, we often have discussions with the insurance companies and lawyers to try to settle. As more information comes out, settlement is often easier as the case proceeds through Litigation.

Whether your case proceeds to Court or you settle beforehand, know that a Personal Injury Case can take a long time to resolve. Even routine cases with relatively minor injuries normally take 12-18 months to resolve. If your case is more complicated, or if we have to go to Court, cases can take much longer.

If you’re injured in a Car Accident, you need an experienced lawyer who can resolve your case not only for the most compensation, but also as quickly as possible.

The lawyers at Marcotte Law Firm have handled thousands of these cases. We know the law, and we know how to get our clients the compensation they deserve. Importantly, we don’t waste time and try to be as efficient as possible.