Tawas City, MI Personal Injury Law Firms & Lawyers

I often advise people to settle their own personal injury claims rather than hire an attorney. Usually this is where your medical bills are less than $10,000.00 and there is no permanent injury. In your case, I would hire an attorney because of your permanent scar. With most attorneys, you will not have to pay the fee until the case is settled. If you insist on representing yourself, I recommend the following steps: 1. If you have health insurance, use it for the medical bills. More of the settlement will go to you rather than doctors. Although you may have to reimburse your insurer out of the settlement you may not have to, plus they pay lower fees to the doctors than you would if you pay out of your settlement because they have special rates. 2. Get the contact information for claims division of the dog owners homeowner's insurance company (if the dog owner has no homeowner's insurance, you may not be able to collect anything from the dog owner). Write a letter to the claims department that you are filing a claim. 3. If the dog owner is insured, get an estimate for what plastic surgery will cost and include this in the claim. If the dog owner has no insurance, this may be throwing good money after bad. In this case, file suit, and get a judgment. It is good for 10 years. Maybe he'll pay someday. 4. Do not settle until you have finished all medical treatment. You may even have to wait a year to see how bad the scar is going to be.

You have a right to be paid 2/3 of your weekly wage while you are temporarily disabled. This would occur if the doctor takes you out of work altogether, or if the doctor puts you on restrictions and the employer has no work within those restrictions. You have a right for the employer to pay for your medical treatment. You have a right to compensation (an award) if you have permanent impairment depending on what disability rating the workers' compensation commission decides you have. If the employer denies any of these benefits, you can ask for a hearing before the workers comp commission. It would help if you retain a lawyer.