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When you've been HURT, you need"A
VOICE FOR JUSTICE"
Call
719.444.1000 For a FREE
initial Consultation!
Auto
Accidents and Personal Injuries in a nutshell:
Cases arising out of automobile accidents are
by far the most common type of personal injury case in our court
system today. Generally, people who operate automobiles must
exercise "reasonable care under the circumstances." A failure
to use reasonable care is considered negligence. A person who
negligently operates a vehicle may be required to pay for harm
to a person or property, caused by his or her negligence. The
injured party, known as the plaintiff, is required to prove
that the defendant was negligent, that the negligence caused
the accident, and that the accident caused the plaintiff's injuries.
If you have been involved in a motor vehicle accident, do not
hesitate to seek legal counsel from a personal injury attorney
experienced in automobile accident cases in order to best protect
your interests.
Immediately after being injured in an auto accident,
you are thrown into an adversarial legal system that is complex
and confusing. While you are still receiving initial treatment
for your injuries in a hospital emergency room, the parties
at fault have already notified their insurance company of the
accident. Every insurance company has a team of adjusters, investigators
and attorneys whose sole responsibility is to limit the liability
of the insurance company and minimize the amount of money they
will be required to pay "innocent" auto accident victims. You
need the assistance of a qualified auto accident lawyer to guide
you through the system to ensure that you receive the maximum
compensation allowable by law for your injuries. There are many
mistakes that can be made during the initial stages of a Personal
Injury claim that cannot be undone by even the most experienced
attorney. Auto Accident Attorney Ted Bills can help "level the
playing field" by providing auto accident victims with an accurate
straightforward source of information regarding the legal and
practical aspects surrounding the auto compensation system.
Claims
Process
1. PRELIMINARY FILE PREPARATION AND INVESTIGATION: Attorney
Ted Bills will notify all involved insurance companies of his
representation on your claim. He and his investigators will
review police reports and other official investigation files.
The facts of the accident will be documented with on-scene data,
photographs, and affidavits, if necessary, to prove the extent
of the other parties' fault and to determine the strength of
your case. In some instances Attorney Ted Bills may also recommend
a lawsuit be filed early to deal with special issues or circumstances.
2. ASSISTANCE WITH YOUR INSURANCE OR OTHER BENEFITS:
Your insurance company may owe you benefits prior to the settlement.
After Attorney Ted Bills notifies your insurance company of
his representation in writing, he will follow up with them by
telephone and fax to expedite payment of your benefits. This
phase of the process may be brief or it may take considerable
time: some companies are understaffed and slow. It doesn't "speed
up" your benefits to sue. Attorney Ted Bills will provide information
to influence prompt payment. He can help, but remember, the
insurance company writes the checks and controls the payments.
3. DOCUMENTATION OF DAMAGES: Attorney Ted Bills will
contact all of your doctors and hospitals to obtain copies of
their billings, records, and reports. He will also obtain information
concerning any loss of income resulting from your injury. He
keeps in touch with your doctors so that he can document the
extent of your injuries and your prospects for a full recovery.
Documenting the medical part of your claim takes as long as
it does for your injuries to heal. You will want to be certain
you've reached a point where your injuries are fully understood
before trying to settle your claim.
4. FINAL DOCUMENTATION AND SETTLEMENT DEMAND: When your
injuries have healed to a point that your damages can be determined,
Attorney Ted Bills will secure final opinions, reports, and
billings from everyone who treated you. He will then prepare
a Settlement Demand, which is a written documentation summarizing
your injuries and the facts of the case. When he believes you
are ready to begin negotiations, he will submit your settlement
demand to the insurance company who insures the adverse person.
It may take several weeks for them to review and evaluate your
claim. Their response time depends on seasonal caseloads and
other factors beyond the immediate control of Attorney Ted Bills.
5. SETTLEMENT NEGOTIATION OR LAWSUIT: Most cases are
settled by negotiation, even when a lawsuit is filed against
the adverse party. The process of negotiation is quite variable:
if there are few issues or questions about the cause or the
extent of your damage, a prompt settlement may be made. But,
if there are serious questions about possible fault on your
part, or dispute about the extent of your injuries, this takes
time and patience to work out. If the issues cannot be resolved
with the insurance company, Attorney Ted Bills may recommend
a lawsuit be filed to resolve these conflicts. Lawsuits can
be settled without going into a courtroom.
6. DISTRIBUTION AND PAYMENT OF THE PROCEEDS OF YOUR CASE:
When you have authorized Attorney Ted Bills to settle your case,
or a court awards you damages, you must sign a final release
giving up any further claim. Attorney Ted Bills will then obtain
the settlement funds from the insurance company, retain his
fee, pay any outstanding medical bills, and remit the balance
to you. This ends the process of your claim. Our handling of
your case assures a professional result with less stress on
you.
This brief summary is a basic guideline. If you
have any questions, please contact your attorney on our staff.
Auto
Accident and Personal Injury Attorney Ted Bills is an experienced
Auto Accident and Personal Injury Attorney. You may be entitled
to recover damages for your lost wages, property damage, medical
bills, and pain and suffering. Auto Accident and Personal
Injury Attorney Ted Bills handles a great number of auto
accident and personal injury claims and understand the intricacies
of the human anatomy and how it can adversely be affected by
sudden impact. Auto Accident and Personal Injury Attorney
Ted Bills knows how to deal with insurance companies in
order to negotiate the best result for you.
If you
have any questions about your rights, telephone Auto Accident
and Personal Injury Attorney Ted Bills at (719) 444-1000
for a free consultation.
Here
are some of the critical questions you should ask an auto accident
attorney:
In what
percentage of your cases do you represent the victims of auto
accidents or other personal injuries?
With Auto Accident and Personal Injury Attorney Ted Bills
you will find an Attorney where almost all of his clients were
victims of auto accidents, malpractice, or some other form of
personal injury. He prides himself on representing individuals,
not insurance companies or corporations.
What
kind of results have you achieved?
While
no attorney can guarantee you results-that is unethical, Attorney
Ted Bills is proud of the fact that his practice is limited
almost exclusively to Auto Accident and other personal injury
claims and that he has been successful to the point where he
can devote his full energies to serving the need of victims
of auto accidents, malpractice, or some other form of personal
injury.
What
do you do if you have been involved in an auto accident?
Every
week, Auto Accident and Personal Injury Attorney Ted Bills
is contacted by individuals who want to know what to do after
a car, motorcycle, or truck accident.
Here
are some rules to help you understand what to do: Immediately
at the accident scene, you should:
-
Try
to remain calm - not an easy chore, but take deep breaths and
do your best to be as calm as possible.
-
If
possible, stop in a safe place out of the stream of traffic,
but don't take any additional risks.
-
Make
certain no one is hurt badly enough to need immediate medical
care.
-
Call
911 and ask for the police and an ambulance if necessary.
-
Get
the other driver's name, address, and telephone number. Record
his vehicle registration number. If you believe the other driver
is intoxicated, tell the police officer.
-
Get
the names, addresses, and phone numbers of any witnesses.
Ask
the police officer for the police report number and where and
when a copy will be available.
Afterwards:
- Contact Auto
Accident and Personal Injury Attorney Ted Bills before you
have any discussions regarding settlement.
- Contact your insurer.
- Get prompt medical
treatment and continue to get all the medical treatment you
need for as long as you need it.
- Do not speak, or
give recorded statements to the insurance company for the other
driver. Instead, tell the insurance company representative to
call Auto Accident and Personal Injury Attorney Ted Bills.
- Have someone take
photos of the cars and any skid marks on the road (skid marks
start to fade within days).
- Keep track of all
the places where you have received medical treatment, the physical
ailments that you have, and how the injuries affect your day-to-day
life as well as the day-to-day life of family members.
Damages
to your automobile:
An automobile accident is always
stressful. You are not alone. This advice
has been prepared to help guide you through
some of the steps you should take to insure
that your property damage claim is handled
speedily and that your interests are protected.
Immediately following the accident,
or as soon thereafter as you are able, you
should contact the property damage adjuster
of the responsible party's insurance carrier
and make arrangements for your vehicle to
be seen. This can be done either by the adjuster
coming out and looking at your vehicle and
estimating the damages, having you take the
vehicle to one of the insurance company's
drive through shops, or by having you obtain
two or three estimates on your own from shops
of your choice.
You may have the right to have
your car repaired at the body shop of your
choice. You need not accept the insurance
company's property damage appraisal of the
actual repair costs. Take your car to your
selected body shop and present a written estimate
to the insurance company. Make sure you retain
2 or 3 written estimates from different body
shops.
Do not rely solely on an insurance
company's estimate. Be satisfied that your
car is returned to pre-collision condition
before signing any insurance company check
or property damage release. Otherwise, you
may waive your right to further repairs. Once
an estimate of the damages has been determined,
the insurance company will either issue you
and the shop a check, or will pay the shop
upon completion of the work.
If you receive the check up
front before your repairs are done, do not
give it to the shop until the work is done
and you are reasonably satisfied. If you pick
up your vehicle from the shop and notice something
that has not been taken care of, let the shop
and the adjuster know immediately.
If your automobile has been
damaged in an auto accident, you are entitled
to have your automobile repaired, or if your
vehicle is determined to be a "total loss,"
you are entitled to be paid the value of that
vehicle. If you had other personal items damaged
in the accident, you are entitled to be reimbursed
for those losses as well.
If an accident is another's
fault, that person's insurance company should
provide you with a rental car while your car
is in the repair shop or until the insurer
makes a reasonable offer to settle a "total
loss" on your vehicle. If the at-fault driver
is uninsured, your right to a rental car is
subject to the terms of your own insurance
policy.
-
Contact the insurance company for pre-authorization
of all rentals. They will direct you to local car rental companies.
-
If there is a delay in obtaining a rental car,
you may be entitled to compensation for the "loss of use" of
your vehicle for each day you have been deprived of its "use."
-
Household services: ("Essential Services") Some
insurance policies have a per-day payment to pay someone else
to perform those household tasks which the injured person would
have done if they had not been hurt. You should always ask if
such coverage is available. Insurance companies seldom volunteer
such information.
-
Sometimes, when there are liability issues
involved, you may experience long delays in getting a response
from the responsible party's insurance carrier regarding what
position they are taking concerning your claim. Therefore, some
clients may prefer to have their own insurance carrier handle
their property damage claims.
Personal
Injury Law - Auto/Car Accidents - Pain and Suffering
- Dog Bites - Broken Bones
There is a large body of law
that governs your right to recover financially for
personal injuries you sustain. This body of law
covers the various causes for the injury from auto
accidents, slip and fall injuries, defective or
dangerous products, even slander or libel. Most
importantly, there is the matter of making timely
claims.
If you are injured
in an accident or due to the fault of someone else,
do not let yourself be victimized by an insurance
company or the guilty party who will likely want
to pay you as little as possible. See your primary
care physician at once to determine the seriousness
of your injuries and consult with a personal injury
attorney early to see if you have an actionable
claim.
Automobile
accidents and work injuries
can have a devastating consequence, not only to
you, the injured party, but your family members
(spouse, children, parents, grandchildren) as well.
Adding to pain and suffering
may be huge medical
and hospital bills,
lost income because of an inability
to work, special medical
rehabilitation costs, and other costs.
To
protect your interests, you need to be aware of
your rights. To make correct decisions
about your future, you need to be aware of your
rights. You can't count on insurance companies to
protect your interests or make correct decisions
about your future - you need an Attorney with experience
in the fields of Personal Injury and Pain and Suffering
to help you understand your rights and get you the
total benefits you deserve.
It is important to understand that
when you work with a Personal Injury and disability
lawyer, you are also working which the office administrative
staff and the staff working with the Law Firm
of Auto Accident and Personal Injury Attorney
Ted Bills have more than 30 years of combined
experience in the personal injury field.
Most importantly he also understands that personal
injury cases are just that - personal - and that
no two cases are alike.
AREAS
of IMPORTANCE:
-
Traffic/automobile/motorcycle/bicycle
accidents
-
Wrongful death-serious
slip and fall injuries-pain and suffering-burns
and scarring-dog bites-broken bones
-
Lost wages -
workers' compensation - social security disability
-
Back and/or
neck injuries and disabilities or paralysis
-
On the job injuries
including Carpal Tunnel syndrome
-
Brain damage
- carbon monoxide poisoning
-
Defective products
- air bag deployment issues
-
Orthopedic, dental,
sight, or hearing impairment
-
Uninsured claims
and insurance disputes
SERVICES
INCLUDE:
-
A Free initial,
in office consultation, where you can discuss
your case in detail, in confidence, and receive input
from Auto Accident and Personal Injury Attorney
Ted Bills regarding the merits of your case.
-
Contingent Fees
(No Recovery/No Fee) arrangements
are available in most cases.
-
Medical Bill Payment
and Timely Payment of Benefits
can be provided.
-
In-Hospital
or in-Home consultations
are provided by Auto Accident and Personal Injury
Attorney Ted Bills.
WHY
WORK WITH AUTO ACCIDENT AND PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY
TED BILLS?
Auto Accident and Personal Injury
Attorney Ted Bills understands how stressful it
is to be injured. He cares a great deal about his clients
and strives to be available for their questions and
concerns. He promptly returns telephone calls from his
clients and his clients know that he is working to protect
their rights. Clients also understand that he is effectively
handling their legal matters so that they can focus
on getting well, focus on their families, and focus
on returning to normal day-to-day lives.
Auto Accident and Personal Injury
Attorney Ted Bills is dedicated to helping
guide his clients to recovery of fair and just compensation.
When a client is injured it is normal for them to be
confused about what laws govern their ability to recover
damages and they often do not understand the seriousness
of their injuries. Many clients initially do not understand
that some injuries are more financial (lost wages -
property damage) than physical (pain and suffering)
and that each case is different and recovery can depend
on many factors.
Reasonable, Competent,
and Aggressive Representation™
The Lawyer
Who Cares™
CALL
(719) 444-1000
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