San Geronimo, CA Personal Injury Law Firms & Lawyers

The answers to these questions depend on a lot of information which is not in your question. Whose itemized list are you referring to? What kind of medical specials? If you saw a chiropractor, your injuries may be considered not as serious as if you saw an M.D. (this is insurance company/defense lawyer bias, not mine). Your medical bills will be assumed to be inflated (same bias), and wherever you got the $15,000 figure for "general specials" [I assume you mean general damages, which are for pain and suffering], this figure is totally arbitrary and not what you can expect, no matter what you have been told. In a typical auto accident case, with chiropractic treatment (essentially physical therapy) of reasonable duration, and no other medical treatment, a presumed soft-tissue injury to your neck and back, and about $4,700 in bills, the insurance company for the liable party (assuming he/she had insurance) would offer you about $7,000, more or less, If you had an attorney. If you try to settle with the insurance company yourself, you'd be lucky if they offered you something more like $4,000. As for your doctor, if he's a chiropractor and used to having auto accident victims as patients, he should reduce his bill for you, but you have to negotiate that with him (if you have a lawyer, he will do that for you, and should obtain a reduction of at least one-third). However, if you are not represented, your doctor may insist on the full amount of his bill, and if you signed papers with him before treatment agreeing to be bound by his bills, you may be out of luck with him.

If the person who hit you was uninsured is that why you are dealing or referencing your insurance?If not you should be dealing with the at fault party's insurance company and if you have significant injuries you should not settle for a "small amount."

Turn the suit papers over to your vehicle insurer and they will provide you a lawyer @ no cost and pay any settlement/judgment up to the liability limits that were purchased with the policy.