What to Look for in a PIP Lawyer Because
in any area of life or law, it is important to hire the right person for the job. If you are trying to tile your home, you would not hire a roofer to do the job.
As stated in several articles previously, personal injury protection ("PIP") and its contract-driven cousin, medical benefits payment "med pay", are a unique area of law even within the practice of personal injury.
While sharing many similarities with traditional at-fault litigation, PIP, also known as no-fault insurance, is governed by statute, and with it comes a number of nuances.
What Here are the most important things to consider when considering hiring a PIP attorney for yourself or your medical facility
?
Personal injury protection is a branch of car insurance that covers economic losses, including medical bills, lost wages and burial costs. Florida is a no-fault state, meaning that the state requires all drivers to purchase PIP insurance for no-fault car accidents.
To receive the PIP benefit after a car accident, you must have purchased insurance prior to the accident, you were injured while operating an insured motor vehicle, and you must have been insured for 14 days to cover the economic damages caused by the car accident.
Receive up to $10,000, with PIP insurance covering 60% of your lost wages.
following losses You can be compensated with PIP insurance for
Surgical services
Hospital expenses
Rehab costs
Ambulatory services
Emergency medical conditions How PIP insurance affects
Per Florida statute 627.736, car accident victims have emergencies The condition must be medical in order to receive the full $10,000 in medical costs for the conditions.
An emergency medical condition (EMC) is any injury or illness that manifests itself through acute symptoms of sufficient severity. Absence of medical treatment may cause:
Serious danger to the patient's health
Serious impairment to bodily functions
any bodily organ or part
The definition of what counts as EMC is unclear, and some car accident victimsof Medical attention fear of their injuries are not considered EMC. A health care professional may also consider a car accident injury as not having EMC. This can reduce the victim's medical expense coverage by as much as 75%, from $10,000 to $2,500, and leave the victim to pay large amounts of medical expenses out of pocket.
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What Should You Be Looking for in a Personal Injury Protection Lawyer?
May fail to provide PIP benefits to those who do not have EMC. If your doctor fails to list that you suffered EMC in their medical report detailing your travel, an insurance company may refuse your PIP benefits.
If an insurance company denies PIP benefits or pays less than what you think you qualify for, you may be covered for your car accident injuries.
You should consider the following six factors before hiring a personal injury protection attorney:
Factor #1 - Does this attorney practice PIP every day?
In law and especially with PIP cases, it is very important to practice daily in the field as case law changes. If the attorney only works in the field, he or she will not know what's new in the PIP insurance field.
PIP law can be complex, with small intricacies and details affecting whether a PIP insurance claim goes through.
Without an in-depth knowledge of PIP law that has been developed with years of rigorous focus, they may miss some of the finer areas needed to win your case.
If they are not invested in the specific PIP law area and broader personal injury accidents, that attorney may not be able to address the needs of your case if their focus is elsewhere.
Factor #2- Does this attorney primarily handle PIP suits?
It can be hard to focus on PIP Suite. PIP suits usually settle for a lower amount than your traditional car accident cases.
If your attorney is pursuing a large million-dollar case, and there is a $10,000 PIP benefit limit, it's easy to see why your case might get put on hold.
If the law firm is busy and the staff do not know how to properly handle a PIP case, they may fail to handle it appropriately.
With PIP, it is necessary to pursue cases because the defendants (insurance companies) allow cases to remain pending.
You need an attorney with in-depth knowledge of the best procedures for handling personal injury protection and PIP-specific claims procedures to put yourself in the best position to receive your benefits.
Factor #3- Does this attorney know the current PIP law?
Even if an attorney practices PIP every day, and it is primarily the focus of their firm, the attorney must still independently make innovations in PIP case law.
Is the lawyer you hired to sit around and wait for things to come their way, or are they outgoing and looking to continue learning?
Because no-fault and PIP insurance are governed by statute, each time the PIP statute is amended, how these types of claims are processed will change.
In gathering information about any legislation affecting Investing claims process.
Factor #4- Does this PIP lawyer communicate well?
The number one complaint and complaint I hear from clients and friends alike is that their attorney does not keep them informed of what is happening in their case or that their attorney does not return their phone calls.
As the client, you have the final decision about who you choose to be your representative and attorney. As lawyers, we work for you.
This means meeting your needs to stay informed. As a lawyer, I hate having an email sit in my inbox without a response for more than 24 hours.
Even if an error was made or something fell through the cracks, a lawyer needs to reach out to you, acknowledge it, and take action to rectify the mistake.
Due to the possible complications tht may arise with the claim process and further medical expenses, it is essential to be in constant touch with your PIP lawyer.
You need to seek legal advice from someone who can communicate these complex ideas effectively and whom you trust to give you honest estimates for a PIP claim. If an attorney isn't communicating well with you, I'm sure they're not communicating the same way with opposing counsel.
Factor #5- Do they communicate well with the defendant's attorney?
Your lawyer should also communicate with the other party from whom you are receiving PIP benefits. Ties are essential in the PIP area of personal injury.
The major insurance carriers only have so many insurance adjusters and attorneys working on their cases.
Some lawyers even represent 15-20 insurance companies at a time. It is essential to have a good working relationship with these people to settle claims.
The personal relationship is important in these cases, as the attorney who has a working relationship with the attorney representing the insurance company interacts with the process.
Even if they do not have a personal relationship with the people involved, they will need to communicate with the insurance company, their insurance adjusters and attorneys to work out a settlement.
You need a PIP attorney with skilled social skills to effectively communicate your complaint, make a strong case for why you deserve benefits, and seek fair compensation for your car accident injuries. Have a conversation
Factor #6- Do they prepare properly for hearings, testimony and trial?
Being the best and talented lawyer you can go a long way in this profession. However, being a well prepared and organized lawyer will get you ahead.
Making sure that your attorney manages their time and staff properly are all important factors in how effective they are for you.
When looking to hire a PIP attorney, be sure that person takes the preparation to the highest standard.
Unprepared to attend important meetings and steps in the claims process, such as depositions, hearings and trials, can leave you in a bad position to obtain compensation.
Without effective legal counsel during these stages, the defendant may go a step further and strengthen its position of not providing PIP benefits.
It is your PIP attorney's job to come well prepared and make a strong case for why you deserve PIP benefits based on PIP law, evidence, and precedent in other cases.
HOW CHOOSING THE RIGHT PIP ATTORNEY
CAN HELP YOU GET PROFITS Selecting the right PIP attorney involves a whole process of meetings and information gathering, to determine if they are the right person for the job.
You need a PIP lawyer to help you navigate the complex processes involved in obtaining qualified PIP benefits. They should be invested in both PIP law and your claim, enough to apply their resources and expertise to track down evidence that can help you recover compensation for car accident damages.
So you may also need a personal injury lawyer if the damages exceed your PIP benefits. If the party that caused the car accident acted negligently or with intent to cause harm, they can file a car accident claim.
The same principles that apply to PIP law apply to tenant car accident liability law.
You should hire a car accident lawyer who has in-depth knowledge of car accident law, the experience and expertise to handle the claims process efficiently, and to transfer the claim between you and the at-fault party's insurance company.
Can be in constant contact with. At the speed you are comfortable with.
Contact Dolman Law Group for help with your personal injury protection claim. The
last thing you want to worry about is whether or not you will get compensation from your insurance after a car accident. You have serious injuries, exorbitant medical bills, and are worried about missing work, you are not suing a PIP claim.
If your insurance company has denied or underpaid your PIP benefits, you should contact a PIP attorney to help you pursue the benefits you are entitled to.
Look no further than the PIP department at Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA. We have served Florida drivers and medical facilities who were underpaid or not properly paid their PIP benefits for years.
CALL 727-222-6922 LEAVEA MESSAGE ON ONLINE CONTACT PAGE, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO A LAWYER WHO PRACTICES PIP DAILY, Primarily PIP, KNOWS CURRENT LAW, CLIENTS AND OPPONENTS Communicates well with counsel, and prepares diligently for court.