PERSONAL INJURY

PERSONAL INJURY FROM MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS

Motor Vehicle personal injury claims generally involve one of three types of insurance.

The first type is liability insurance. This is the insurance for the at fault party. Generally the insurance adjuster from the at fault party will want to take your statement. We DO NOT RECOMMEND you agree to the statement being taken unless someone from our office is with you.

The insurance adjuster's job is to gather information in regard to the claim. This would include focusing on facts that might affect your rights to recover lost wages, medical bills and compensation for pain & suffering and permanent disability.

The adjuster makes preliminary estimates value of the claim. Not having an attorney representing you puts you at a disadvantage in receiving a fair settlement from the insurance company. The liability insurance company is under no obligation and is not required by law to be fair with you. Our office has visited with many prospective clients who had already settled their case and later discovered that the settlement was less than fair. Contact our office for a free consultation to discuss your case.

The second type of auto insurance is uninsured motorists coverage. In the event the at fault driver is uninsured your own policy will provide coverage to you for your personal injuries. The amount of coverage available was determined by the coverage you purchased. You can expect your company to look into your past medical records and other information they deem relevant to your claim. The purpose of looking into your past is an attempt to shift the focus of your case and emphasize prior events in your life as a way to diminish your claim's value. We recommend hiring an attorney to represent you in an uninsured motorists claim. There are limits as to what information can be considered in reviewing your case. An experienced law firm will continually remind the insurance company of their duties and obligations to you as an insured.

The next type of insurance is underinsured motorists coverage. Underinsured motorists coverage is triggered in the event you are seriously injured and the limits of insurance for the other party are not sufficient.

Underinsured coverage only applies if you have a claim in excess of the liability limits of the at fault party. Underinsured claims are often overlooked by the general public.

Collecting the liability limits of the at fault party could bar your underinsured claim. We recommend you hire an experienced lawyer to make sure your rights in an underinsured claim are preserved. Call our office for a free consultation to discuss your injury claim.

Medical payments coverage stays with the automobile and applies to payment of medical bills of the driver and passengers of that can in the event of an accident. Common medical payment insurance policy limits of this coverage is $5,000. Generally the medical payments insurance company will want to be reimbursed for the payments they made on your behalf. Call our office today for a free consultation about your injury claim.

South Dakota has a three (3) your statute of limitation on personal injury claims. If you are under 18 you may have until 1 year after your 18th birthday to bring your case. Contact an experienced lawyer as soon as possible if you have been in an accident and have been injured. This will insure that time does not run out and your right of recovery is not barred.

PERSONAL INJURY FROM DEFECTIVE PRODUCTS

Our office is experienced in handling product liability cases. We have experience with farm machinery, automobiles and many other products. If you have been injured by a product and you believe this product was defective call our office for a free consultation to discuss your case.