Q: If my injury is the result of a crash by another driver and I am injured, am I able to sue them to pay for my therapy?

A: Call your insurance company and inform them of your accident. If you have the police report take it to an attorney and let him help you. Best of luck.

A: You are massively underselling yourself and harming your own interests. You need a lawyer. If you need an appendectomy, would you do it yourself? Studies show that people who are represented by an attorney get more, net in their pocket, than people who try to represent themselves.

You do not sue for the cost of physical therapy, and especially not for the portion of the cost that your own medical insurance did not pay.

You sue for all of the harm that you were caused: the full amount of past and future medical expenses (including those amounts already paid by insurance), the full amount of past and future wage loss, and the full amount of your past and future pain and suffering.

If you are saying that the property damage was only $800, you will have a hard time convincing an adjuster that nerve damage was caused by what looks like a minor collision. Your age, pre-existing conditions and post-collision activities will be heavily examined to look for other causes. You should get a consultation with a PI attorney and a evaluation by a neurologist to determine the cause of your condition, your prognosis, the cost of treatment, and the expected recovery and any permanent deficits.

A: To properly answer any legal question it is necessary to ascertain more information. It is like asking a doctor over the phone what your pain in the stomach is about and whether he could cure it. The Doc needs to get a more complete history, lab work and X-rays etc.

I would strongly suggest you write out a detailed summary of the facts including your name, address, email and the relevant facts. Every lawyer you talk to will need the same information to intelligently answer your inquiry.

After doing that you should set up an appointment with a local lawyer that handles the area of law in question. If you need a referral, please contact me at 760 837-7500 or dale@dalegribowlaw.com. In other words, you do not hire an LA lawyer for a case in Palm Springs or OC and visa versa. Of course, on a criminal case, if you cannot afford a lawyer the court will appoint one for you.

It's also important that you not talk about this case to anyone except your attorney. Please remember anything you say online herein is discoverable and can be used against you.

However, if someone else is at fault you should be entitled to compensation for all the injuries related to the accident....plus pain and suffering. Whether your delay in treatment will prevent a lawyer from the taking the case i don't know.

The problem with talking to anyone, be it the police or an insurance adjuster, is they may misunderstand what you said or they do not write down everything. Sometimes the problem is what THEY THOUGHT THEY HEARD YOU SAY that hurts you. You never want to admit to anything.

You should consider retaining a lawyer, remaining silent and letting the lawyer be the strawman and taking the heat for anything you did wrong.

In other words for instance, you would be happy to talk to the police or the insurance company, but your lawyer has ordered you “not to talk without his permission”.

You then suggest they talk to your lawyer for permission for you to talk to them. I never let my clients talk to anyone and always take the blame for any issue.

A: You should consult with an attorney, in terms of medical issues and preserving rights in a possible action. Many personal injury attorneys provide free initial consultations.

Tim Akpinar