Why Do I Need a Lawyer After a Car Accident in Alabama? – Judge Knows
April Douglas: After an accident, people often wonder if they really need an attorney. They think the insurance claims are going to be simple and easy to do, but they often get complicated pretty quickly, don’t they, David?
David Greene: Yes, they do.
April Douglas: All right, here to talk more about that is David Greene from Greene and Phillips Injury Lawyers. Hi, David. Thanks for being here.
David Greene: Yeah, glad to be here.
April Douglas: Okay. Why do people need an attorney in these types of situations?
David Greene: Well, number one, an attorney that does this type of case, like the lawyers at Greene and Phillips, we understand all the nuances and all the little bitty details that make a huge difference. We have relationships with the insurance companies and their adjusters. We deal with their attorneys on a daily basis, and we really understand how to put these things together in a format that the insurance company is expecting. The insurance company uses a program that basically tells them what the case value is. They don’t like me to say that, but the information is put in, and it really helps them evaluate the case. What happens with that is we know exactly what they’re looking for. We can provide that information, and when we’re able to do that, we can add value to your case.
April Douglas: That is one of the first things you do in any situation that you get a new case, but tell us, what is it that you’ll do?
David Greene: Number one, if we’re involved in a case, what we’ll do is we’ll order the records, we’ll investigate the case, and then put your case together in a format that fits basically what we need to prove. We know that there are certain things that we have to prove under the law in court if the case got to court, but we also know that we just need to put the case together in a format that folks can understand. We’ll put that case together, we’ll put the demand together, then place it on the insurance company, give them a certain period of time to respond as opposed to waiting a long, long time. Sometimes, insurance adjusters may wait almost two years to get back with you.
April Douglas: This is all knowledge that you have, David, from years of experience that we would not have otherwise. Talk to us, though, about medical treatment. How do you help with that?
David Greene: Well, number one, we’re going to make sure that if you’re injured, you get the treatment that you need. If you don’t have health insurance, we have relationships with doctors and treatment centers that actually can get you treated, get you well, because you don’t want to settle your case if you’re not well.
April Douglas: That’s right, and you’re going to help us recover.
David Greene: That’d be our main concern, is our recovery.
April Douglas: Insurance companies, they may often make a settlement earlier. How do you help in looking over those, making sure that they’re just right?
David Greene: Well, what happens, many times there are companies that will actually call you right away after the wreck and offer you some small sum of money to try to get rid of your case. We don’t want that to happen. We want to make sure that, yes, we want you to be paid fairly, but many times there’s no way for them to know what your case is actually worth, because they have no medical records. So if you get a call from an insurance company right after the wreck, offering you a sum of money, that is a red flag. Do not talk to them, call a lawyer.
April Douglas: All right, you heard it here first, and once that case settles, there’s still things to do. You can help us all through that. David Greene with Greene and Phillips Injury Lawyers. Judge Knows, car wrecks and personal injury cases are stressful. That’s why he and David Greene of Greene and Phillips Injury Lawyers are answering your questions. Want yours featured? Scan the QR code to submit it for the next Judge Knows on WKRG.
Originally aired on WKRG News 5’s Judge Knows
