Free Consultations – (209) 490-5049
Stockton Personal Injury Attorney Michael Rehm provides representation to those injured by the wrongful acts of others. Practice areas include:
- Accidents – Car, Motorcycle, Pedestrian, Bicycle, Truck, Boat, etc.
- Slip and Fall – Grocery store, gas stations, private property.
- Dog Bites
- Wrongful Death/Survival Actions
The list above is not exhaustive. If you have been injured, feel free to call (209)490 -5049 for a free, confidential; consultation.
Generally, in personal injury matters, the other side will be an insurance company. It is very important to understand how the insurance company will attempt to devalue your claim. Particularly in accident cases that do not lead to death or disfigurement, they will take the following approach:
- First, they will dispute liability. They will argue that their insured was not at fault for the accident. If this defense is not available for them, they will move to the second common defense:
- They will admit that their insured was at fault for the accident, but they will argue that the accident did not cause the injuries. They will argue that the injuries were already there, or that injury is not real in the first place. If that argument is not available to them, they will then proceed with the next defense:
- They will admit their insured caused the accident, they will admit the accident caused the injuries, but they will argue the injuries are not as severe as they are being made out to be. They will basically accuse you of being opportunistic and attempting to take advantage of a negative situation for financial gain. If the injuries are severe, they will not have this argument available, and they will move on with the final argument they believe they can make:
- They will admit their insured caused the accident, they will admit the accident caused the injuries, they will concede the injuries are severe, but they will argue that the costs associated with living with the injuries is too high. They will once again argue that you are being opportunistic, that even with sever injuries, the amount you are requesting is too high, that you do not really need that much money to compensate you for your injuries and to ensure that you will have adequate medical care and help to deal with the injuries sustained.
Keep in mind that when you are the victim of an accident, you are exactly that: a victim. You did nothing wrong; you were minding your own business when someone else injured you. Even though this is the case, the insurance company decides that the only line of attack is to dispute your credibility and paint a picture that you are either not being honest, or you are not competent enough to understand what amount you will need to take care of yourself for the rest of your life. You are either a liar or not intelligent. This line of attack is exactly why there is so much resentment towards the insurance companies in society today, and why you need a strong advocate on your side to protect you.
You have done nothing wrong; you were injured, you need to protect yourself. For more information on how an accident attorney can help with this, call (209) 490-5049 for a free confidential consultation with Stockton Personal Injury Lawyer Michael Rehm.
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