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Do I need a lawyer?
My car was hit by another driver who accepted blame right away. His insurance company accepted fault, gave me money to purchase new car and says they will pay medical bills when they receive them. They are also trying to settle with me every week or so. The internet leads me to believe I will not get a fair settlement unless I have a lawyer’s help to navigate the process. Do I need a lawyer?
Asked on August 22, 2017 under Accident Law, Oregon
Answers:
S.L,. Member, California Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 7 years ago | Contributor
Your personal injury claim is separate from your property damage claim.
It would be advisable to be represented by a personal injury attorney because the at-fault party's insurance company will try to pay as little as possible.
Your personal injury case cannot be settled until you complete your medical treatment and are released by the doctor or are declared by the doctor to be permanent and stationary which means having reached a point in your medical treatment where no further improvement is anticipated.
The case cannot be settled until you have your total medical bills, all medical reports including your final medical report, and total wage loss.
Compensation for the medical bills is straight reimbursement. The medical reports document your injury and are used to determine compensation for pain and suffering which is an amount in addition to the medical bills. Compensation for wage loss is straight reimbursement.
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