San Diego Personal Injury Attorney

If you (or someone you care about) have been recently in an accident, chances are you are worrying about what you should do next. You may also be feeling angry or frustrated, or wondering if there is a reasonable way out of this mess.

You may be asking, "Can I trust my insurance company to take care of me? How do I deal with the other insurance companies involved? Will I be forced to see the other insurance company's doctor right after the accident? Will my insurance company give me what I deserve for the damage to my car?"

If any of these questions have occurred to you, then keep reading.

If you've been in an accident, there are some things that you absolutely must know. That's one reason why I created this website. Things are so complicated and such a hassle these days, that many people just give up! It is my hope that information in this site details some of the critical things you need to know to get what you deserve under the law.

As a result, I have prepared this website by asking myself this question… "If my best friend was in an accident, and I couldn't be there to help, what are the MOST IMPORTANT things I would want him to know?"

It is my genuine hope that this information will help you learn the important things you should - and should NOT do - after being involved in an accident.

First of all, if you (or a family member or friend) have been hurt, let me express my sincerest sympathy and best wishes for a complete recovery.

Accidents and injuries can be one of the most tragic and stressful events that can happen to a person. I know, because I deal with these situations every day. I have helped hundreds of people through this difficult time, and it never gets easy. Particularly if someone has been hurt, disabled or even killed.

With recent changes in the law and with the way insurance companies are handling claims, I am now concerned that you may not get the help you really need! The last thing you want is to be taken advantage of during this difficult time.

What most people really want to know is:

What Should I Do Next?

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Don't let anyone push you, force you, or threaten you to sign any document or try to intimidate you into making a hasty decision. This is very common with insurance companies, and you may really regret your decision later. Here's why.

The American Bar Association Journal published an article reporting that Allstate Insurance Co. has started a new program for their claims adjusters. Under this program, adjusters are encouraged to do "whatever they can" to get the victims before they hire lawyers. This includes monitoring police radio and visiting accident scenes! Another insurance company strategy is to discourage claimants from hiring representation and force them to “walk away” with a small first time offer.

Why do you think they are doing this? I'll give you a hint - it's NOT for YOUR benefit! The answer is very simple. In a 1994 study, the Insurance Research Council found that injured people using lawyers received over TWICE as much money as those without lawyers. And this is AFTER paying the lawyer’s fees!

Do you think the insurance companies want you to hire a lawyer when they know they will end up having to pay you twice as much; as well as paying for your attorney? No way!

Here's a story from one of my own clients that shows just how true this is… Jim is a roofer. Well, yes, you can guess what happened. One day at work he slipped and fell off a roof and injured his shoulder. Jim was going to need minor surgery to get the shoulder damage repaired. This is one of the hazards of his job, but this is just the beginning of the story.

You see, Jim was scheduled to have surgery several months later, but a month before the surgery he was in a car accident. Unfortunately, the accident caused more damage to the already injured shoulder which now, as a result, required a more serious surgery with a guarded prognosis. Jim had to go ahead with the surgery to restore the use of his arm, but when it came time for Jim's compensation - the insurance company offered him only $500. They said that he wasn't eligible for additional coverage because of the previous injury due to his fall! Now does this seem fair to you? It sure doesn't to me!

The insurance company was pressuring him to accept their offer of $500, saying that was “better than nothing” - which is what he really deserved.

Well, to make a long story short, what they were pressuring him to accept was an insult! We knew it and so did the insurance company, but Jim wasn't really sure, and he didn't know what to do. What Jim didn't know was that anyone with a prior medical history can be a target for Insurance companies!

They will claim your injuries or problems were already there! That's why I work with accident and medical experts I can rely on to help me demonstrate to the insurance companies, (and the courts if I have to) what really happened. So, after speaking with Jim and helping him understand how I could really help him, we planned our strategy and won against the insurance company. But here's the best part… To Jim's complete surprise, he received more than FIFTY TIMES THE ORIGINAL OFFER! Needless to say, the insurance company would rather I had not come to help Jim.

Please remember this - an insurance company increases profits by reducing the amount of money they pay out in claims. This was exactly what was happening in Jim's case.

Each year, thousands of people never take any action to claim the compensation that they are rightfully entitled to. This isn't because they don't want that compensation. Of course they do! It's just because they don't know what to do - and as a result - don't do anything. They simply take the money that's offered because they figured that's all they could get.

Most folks don't get help because they get bad advice from insurance companies, or are afraid, intimidated or confused. Don't let that happen to you. In this day and age, we have found that doing nothing is one of the worst things you can do.

You Only Pay If You Win

Attorney Ronald B. Laba only gets paid if you get paid a settlement or obtain a verdict.

No upfront costs. No hourly charges. Hire the Law Offices of Ronald B. Laba and you get a highly skilled San Diego contingency fee attorney working on your behalf alleviating all the pressure from you. We only get paid when we are successful and you get paid. Thus, if we take your case, we are extremely motivated to win and you can have the peace of mind knowing that we have a reasonable expectation of success.

Some lawyers charge clients by-the-hour. Others want you to pay up-front costs. When you’re dealing with the aftermath of a serious injury, you shouldn’t have to worry about how much it will cost to get quality representation