Q: Is there anyone that can help me to settle my claim for an accident caused by a drunk driver in Washington State?
I need to find an attorney that can help me in finishing my insurance injury claim. I have literally done 3/4 of the work (I believe) and I have obtained all of the documents needed to settle this case. These include my medical documents from my PCP and therapist notes and summaries for every appointment I have had in relation to this accident, the police report, accident and incident reports, the arrest report and breathalyzer report, etc. I am willing to pay someone to simply look over my counter offer letter and help possibly determine a fair amount for this claim. I have done a majority of the work and just need someone to help guide me through the last parts of this claim. The drunk driver's insurance company has been very difficult to deal with through delays and issues when uploading documents at no fault of my own. I have had a huge amount of support and help from the Victims Advocacy in my city, but they are not allowed to refer me to a specific attorney.
A:
Of course, there are many attorneys who can assist. I don't do these personally, but if you want to call or email I'd be happy to make some referrals.
Otherwise, you can google search and I'm sure you could find someone.
Documenting your financial losses, as you have done, is extremely helpful in getting your case resolved. Unfortunately many insurance companies just won't come to the table with a legitimate offer until an attorney is on board, particularly one with a reputation for doing good work for their clients.
A:
I've had a number of cases where the prospective client thought they'd done almost all the work and just needed someone to land the plane. Every single one of them was put together in such a manner that I would have been better off just recreating the file from scratch. So, I would not be quite so sure you've done 3/4 of the work.
The fee for personal injury attorneys is 1/3 plus costs, or 40% plus costs if there's a need to file a lawsuit. If you get a good one that cares, the fee pays for itself many times over. You probably don't want to hire someone who would review this hourly, because anyone that would do that is not familiar with PI claims and won't help to maximize value. You can get a free consult with any personal injury attorney, just make sure to bring everything you have to them / email or dropbox share everything you have before the meeting. They'll make quick sense of everything and let you know where you stand and what your options are. Best of luck to you!
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