Big Misconceptions Surrounding Personal Injury Claims
Personal Injury Lawyer Gwendolyn Hickman, president at the Hickman Law Office in Alexandria, VA, outlines the top three misconceptions surrounding personal injury cases.
In a recent interview, Gwendolyn Hickman, president at the Hickman Law Office in Alexandria, VA, revealed the top three misconceptions surrounding personal injury cases.
When asked for a comment, she said, “Americans tend to have several misconceptions about personal injury, either due to a lack of accurate information or TV shows that dramatize the personal injury process. Here are the most common.”
Many people assume that they are not entitled to pain and suffering compensation if they haven’t sustained a major injury.
“It’s important to first understand what pain and suffering is, which is the physical and mental anguish caused by an injury. Pain and suffering include compensation for things such as being in pain, disfigurement or disability, trauma, stress and anxiety, lower quality of life, loss of a career, among more.”
According to Hickman, one reason people are unaware of their right to compensation is due to a lack of information from insurance companies.
“Insurance companies don’t tell people about pain and suffering. Basically, they tell someone who has been injured that they will pay for medical bills and lost wages, which makes most people happy because they won’t be stuck with unpaid medical bills.”
Another widespread misconception is that it’s ok to put off getting medical help right after an injury.
When asked to elaborate, she said, “The gap definitely affects your credibility. When there’s a gap, the insurance company will say that you’re not really injured or that another event took place between the time of the accident and going to a doctor that caused an injury. In other words, they become very suspect of the causality. “
Many people also often incorrectly assume that going to trial – as opposed to settling a case – is the best way to resolve a manner.
“There’s just such an unknown of who’s going to be in that jury in a trial case – some people are compassionate, and others are simply not. It’s like going to a casino where there’s an uncontrolled outcome, whereas a settlement has a controlled outcome,” she said.
“Furthermore, going to trial is very costly. For instance, experts really do charge an arm and a leg, because they’re in the business of treating people. If they’re pulled away from their practice, they charge a high fee,” she added.