Do I Have a Claim?
Many people do not realize that they are entitled to be compensated for their pain and suffering and lost wages when they are injured in a car wreck, injured at work, injured by a defective product or simply a victim of someone else’s negligence. Don’t let that happen to you. Contact Gregg Harrison, Attorney at Law, to find out if you have a claim.
If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, you should contact our office immediately so that we can begin to investigate your case:
- Were you injured in a car, truck, motorcycle, or bus accident?
- Have you been injured in a construction accident or at a job site?
- Were you injured at your job?
- Were you discriminated against or harassed at work? Were you sexually harassed?
- Have you been fired because of your race, religion, or gender preference?
- Were you injured by a defective product or injured by a recalled product?
- Did you slip and fall because of dangerous conditions like ice, snow, floor defect or broken concrete?
- Did you slip and fall because of improperly designed or maintained property?
- Have you or a loved one been the victim of medical malpractice, including birth injuries or the failure to diagnose life-threatening illnesses such as cancer, heart attacks, strokes, and other conditions?
- Were you injured in a longshoreman’s accident?
- Has your claim for Social Security Disability benefits been denied?
- Did you take any prescription drugs that were recalled?
- Did you suffer any serious health issues due to a prescription drug?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you may have a claim.
Accident FAQs
When you get into an accident or you are hurt by a defective product, you’re often in a state of shock. You're dealing with both emotional and physical distress that could cause you to make crucial errors when insurance claims are involved. Anything you say or do (without consulting an attorney first) could end up affecting the money you get paid as compensation for an insurance claim.
Below are some important personal injury FAQs to help make sure your rights are protected and you are granted the compensation you deserve.
Calling an attorney first may be the smarter move!
Of course, after an accident, you want to check if everyone is ok or that they’re being tended to or taken to the hospital. You should call your car insurance agent or company as soon as possible to let them know about the accident. But, I always tell people to call my law firm first just to make sure you are briefed on what to say and, more importantly, what not to say! It never hurts to speak with an attorney before a sneaky insurance carrier!
As a general rule don’t admit fault!
Don’t give any statements to your insurance agent (or any insurance company) until you speak with an attorney first.
Do you even know what your insurance coverage covers? Often, after an accident, people are confused and angry. Police may come to the scene and start asking confusing questions. If you admit fault before thinking clearly, you may be hurting your injury claim beyond repair. Never admit fault to a wreck unless you know for sure what happened.
Always take pictures so you can preserve the evidence!
Always take several pictures of the car accident scene and damages to any cars or trucks. Also take photos of any evidence helpful to your case, which includes bodily injury damages such as bruises, cuts, hospital photos, etc. Photographic evidence is powerful and can help your lawsuit down the line if you have to prove your case in front of a judge or jury. Present these photos to your attorney for review on your case or claim.
Don’t negotiate directly with whoever caused the accident or start negotiating for payments without discussing your case with an attorney.
If the person who caused the wreck wants to pay you out of pocket, the person you’re dealing with likely doesn’t have the ability to know exactly what the value of your claim should be, so make sure you submit the claim to their insurance company instead. You might even be able to get your bills paid through your own insurance, allowing them to go after the other person to be reimbursed. It’s always best to discuss your claim with a lawyer to help you know what steps to take.
Never take money or sign a release without consulting a lawyer first.
Never lie in a legal proceeding! Always be honest with your recorded statements to the insurance carrier.
I never allow my clients to give a recorded statement to an insurance company unless I am on the line with the client. The adjusters are too sneaky and are trained to trick the injured claimant. If you lie or tell an untruth to any insurance agent, it can possibly invalidate your own policy or cause a denial in the claim.
Don’t ever sign any waivers or a release without consulting an attorney first!
Countless times, people have already signed a release and received minimal money on their serious injury claim before contacting my office. There is nothing I can do for them in this case. It’s a very sad state of affairs, but the shady insurance adjusters get away with it all the time. You’ll eventually have to sign documents, but make sure you have sought legal counsel to know that everything is what you think it should be.
Always consult an attorney before you sign a legal document.
Always keep all notes and receipts involving your case or claim.
Always try to keep extensive notes about every conversation you have with the insurance company, including the time and date as well as who you spoke with. Try to get the job titles, names, and phone numbers of everyone involved. As for the receipts, keep them for any time you dealt with pursuing your claim or in recovery, whether it’s for meals, traveling, or gas and lodging, so you can get completely reimbursed. Anything related to your injury claim should be kept in a log.
Don’t try to self-evaluate your injury claim or accept immediate settlement offers.
The insurance company wants to pay out as little as possible, so don’t be so quick to accept their payout numbers. Every case and claim is different, and an experienced lawyer can discuss what your claim could be worth as well as discuss what kind of compensation you should receive.
Yes! Get the contact information of all witnesses to a wreck and discuss your next steps with your attorney.
Witnesses can be crucial to any case or claim – especially independent witnesses who are not related to any parties. Witnesses can disappear very quickly, so make sure you get their full contact information at the scene for your record. Hand over all witness information to your lawyer. Some witnesses are not friendly, so be careful as not all witnesses want to help you. Have your attorney help you evaluate this.
Free Initial Consultation and No Out-of-Pocket Costs*
If you are injured and believe you have been a victim of someone else’s negligence, call me at 281-929-0110 for a free initial consultation. Or if it is an emergency, please feel free to text me at 832-797-7600.
*As your personal injury lawyer, I will only receive a fee if we recover a settlement or jury verdict for you. In other words, you don’t pay any legal fees unless I make a financial recovery for you!