maybe. Maybe not. The point is that you should NEVER, EVER take your legal advice from the other driver’s insurance company. Remember, it’s their JOB to pay you NOTHING or as LITTLE as possible.
Many times, the insurance adjuster will say things like “sorry but you don’t have a serious injury as required under N.Y. law but because we feel bad about what happened to you, we are willing to pay you $500″.
This is wrong, improper and even illegal for this adjuster to do this. First, he’s not a lawyer and surely not your lawyer so it’s absolutely improper for him to be giving legal advice to you. Second, most often it is way too early to tell whether you will have a serious injury or not. Many people don’t know the full extent of their injuries for months after a car crash. Third, do you REALLY believe they are paying you $500 because they feel bad? No way. They are paying you $500 because they want your signature on a Release. A Release is a legally binding document that says you are giving up ALL rights (both past and future) in exchange for the money. Once you sign off, you are done forever even if you need surgery two months later or start to have problems that disable you from work forever.
Bottom line– you need YOUR OWN attorney to give you proper advice about whether you should settle your case or not.
If you are in doubt about whether you should settle your case or not, feel free to E-mail us at info@ziffflaw.com or call us at 800-ZIFFLAW and we will tell you whether what you are being offered is fair or not. Don’t worry, if you call or E-mail us you are not obligated to hire us but we will help you figure out whether the insurance company is trying to take advantage of you or not.
Thanks for reading,
Jim
_________________________________________
James B. Reed, Esq.
Personal Injury & Malpractice Attorney
Ziff, Weiermiller, Hayden & Mustico, LLP
303 William St., Elmira, NY 14902
Tel. (607) 733-8866 Fax. (607) 732-6062
Toll Free 1-800-943-3529
mailto:jreed@zifflaw.com http://www.zifflaw.com