Is It Okay to Accept Your Insurance Company’s First Offer for Your Personal Injury Claim?

Your insurance company just made a first offer. You are tempted to accept it because it’s the easiest route. You are tired of the process and you just want to get it over and done with. Is it really the best choice?

Often, people accept the first offer from their insurance company without thinking about the repercussions of their actions. Accepting that first offer means you can no longer make additional claims. If you are hasty and you accept the first offer, and you end up experiencing more symptoms of your injuries, you will no longer be able to accept more compensation.

If you have minor injuries, then accepting the first offer for your convenience might seem like the best choice. However, if you have more significant injuries and you predict that your life will never be the same again after acquiring these injuries, you definitely need to consult an injury lawyer in Coquitlam first. 

Understand just how much you are entitled to. You could have losses that far exceed the first offer of the insurance company. A good injury lawyer in Coquitlam such as Learn Zenk Barristers & Solicitors will let you know how much you should expect to receive. With bigger claims, you can get your insurance company to pay you four times their initial offer.

If you are tempted to settle but don’t know if this is the best course of action, consult a lawyer first. They will be able to know whether you are making the right decision. 

To know more about Learn Zenk Barristers & Solicitors in Coquitlam please visit our website: learnzenk.com

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Can You Make a Claim to ICBC Through a Private Insurance Provider?

ICBC is the main insurance company used by people living in B.C. Whether or not you are responsible for the accident, you can get compensation. But one of the questions people ask when it comes to getting compensation is whether they can still get compensation from ICBC through their private insurance provider.

The answer to this is yes. You can first provide the evidence of your injuries to your private insurance provider who will be able to give you your primary coverage. After that, your private insurance provider will send the bills to ICBC. ICBC will provide coverage through its Accident Benefits program. This is a part of the Basic Insurance coverage of B.C. dwellers. They can provide coverage above what your private insurance company has provided. 

ICBC conducts their own investigations when it comes to insurance policies. They may send their insurance adjusters to determine the extent of the injures. However, how much ICBC will reimburse your private insurance provider will depend on the extent of the coverage. They might not provide reimbursement to wage loss benefits, for instance.

If you want maximum compensation to cover all your losses, talk to an injury lawyer in Coquitlam. Your injury lawyer in Coquitlam can help you negotiate your compensation. If ICBC will low-ball you, you can rely on your lawyer to negotiate on your behalf. Lawyers from Learn Zenk Barristers & Solicitors will know if you are not being compensated by your insurance company fairly and get ICBC to provide a fairer compensation.

To know more about ICBC lawyer Coquitlam BC please visit our website: learnzenk.com

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Should You Settle for Your Insurance Company’s First Personal Injury Offer?

Insurance companies will try to keep the costs down, so one of their tactics in dealing with personal injury claims is making a low first offer. Some claimants might accept the first offer because they are in need of money for their treatments and recovery, especially if they are not able to go to work or they are the breadwinners of their family.

But what if you think your case is worth more than what your insurance company is offering? Should you negotiate and drag it out or just accept the first offer? The thing about accepting the first offer is that hard and fast rules are nonexistent. Often times, the first offer is only 30-40% of the real value of your claim. However, taking things to court and going through a litigation battle can be stressful and time-consuming. When you need the money already to pay for your expenses and medical bills, it doesn’t seem good to wait. 

What you should do instead is talk to Coquitlam personal injury lawyers first. It is important to get legal advice from personal injury lawyers in Coquitlam who will be able to determine whether you should accept the first offer or negotiate further. Since your insurance company will also avoid a costly litigation battle, they would be more willing to negotiate if you have legal representation.

If you just received your insurance company’s first offer and you don’t think the offer is fair, you can talk to lawyers at Learn Zenk Barristers & Solicitors first.

To know more about Injury lawyer in Coquitlam BC please visit our website: learnzenk.com

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Can’t Perform Household Chores Due to Your Injuries? Here is What You Need to Know

Injuries from accidents can have a major impact on our ability to perform our day-to-day duties. One of them is being able to perform household chores. You should know that you can make a claim for your inability to provide household chores. This can also include inability to provide care to underage children.

When seeking a claim, there are different ways to prove that you do need to be compensated. First, you can provide detailed reports on the kinds of household chores that you did in the past but can no longer do because of your injuries. You can also hire a person to do the chores and then send the receipts as proof.

Keep in mind though that you have a duty to mitigate. That means you should not seek compensation for more than what you have been doing in the past. For instance, if you only have your lawn mowed once a week, you might not be given compensation if you exceed that, especially if ICBC can prove that it is not within your usual range of activities.

Receipts are not mandatory though. If someone you know volunteers to do some of the household chores such as friends and family, personal injury lawyers in Coquitlam will still be able to prove that you do need help with the chores.

The important thing here is to work with experienced personal injury lawyers in Coquitlam such as Learn Zenk Barristers & Solicitors. By having a legal representation, you will know how to defend yourself better.

To know more about Injury lawyer in Coquitlam BC please visit our website: learnzenk.com

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ICBC Might Not Give You the Offer You are Expecting

Often times, injured people make a claim against ICBC with high expectations. They expect ICBC to give them a high compensation for their injuries. But this isn’t the case all the time. If anything, ICBC might give you a low-ball offer. This is a tactic used by ICBC to reduce their expenses.

Expect the first offer to be nowhere near the amount you are expecting. The best thing to do is to decline the offer and ask how the insurance company came up with that amount and then also include your own computations on your expenses.

Of course, being new to the process, you probably have no idea where and how to start negotiating. This is where an ICBC lawyer in Coquitlam will come in. An ICBC lawyer in Coquitlam such as Learn Zenk Barristers & Solicitors have the expertise and knowledge when it comes to these cases, so they will know whether ICBC is low-balling you and what you should do when this happens. 

Your lawyer will negotiate on your behalf, to make sure you get the maximum value of your compensation. If you don’t have a lawyer yet, now is a good time to retain the services of one.

It is important to retain the services of a lawyer from the start of your claim. Many people only get the services of lawyers when they are already in a pinch and they have already started the negotiation process. Having a stronger voice when negotiating can actually help you strengthen your claim.

To know more about Personal injury lawyers Coquitlam BC please visit our website: learnzenk.com

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3 Frequently Asked Questions About Slip and Fall Accidents in the Workplace

Slip and fall accidents account for 17.7% of accidents that happen in the workplace. It’s actually more common than many people think. Unfortunately, employees often don’t know what to do if this happens to them.

To shed some light to some things about slip and fall accidents, here are some frequently asked questions and their answers:

1. Who is liable when it comes to slip and fall accidents?

One of the important things to ask is who is liable. Establishing liability is important to understand who should be responsible in shouldering the costs of treatments and loss of wage. Often times, the liability falls in the hands of the employers, who have a responsibility to keep the workplace safe. If the slip and fall accident was caused by a problem in the structure of the building such as broken pavement or unsafe stairs, employers are the one at fault.

2. Are slip and fall accidents under worker’s compensation?

Most of the time, accidents that happen in the workplace are covered by the company’s worker’s compensation. However, it still depends on the company. It’s better to take a look at your employment contract to understand what is included.

3. Should I hire Coquitlam personal injury lawyers?

If you come to an agreement with your employer about compensation and this seems fair, you might not have to file a lawsuit. However, if you have sustained serious injuries and your employer refuses to pay, you might need to retain the services of personal injury lawyers in Coquitlam BC such as Learn Zenk Barristers & Solicitors.

If you are a victim, you should know that you have a right for a proper compensation. If your company refuses to give you one, you should get the legal help you need.

To know more about Injury Lawyer in Coquitlam please visit our website: learnzenk.com

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What Information Should You Share to the At Fault Party in the Event of an Accident?

There is such a thing as oversharing when it comes to divulging information to the at fault party in the event of a car accident. What you say can be used against you. There are certain things you can share but there are also those you are better off just divulging to your Coquitlam personal injury lawyers. 

It is best to talk to personal injury lawyers in Coquitlam before meeting up with the at fault party. Do not meet up with the insurance adjuster of the at fault party without discussing it with your lawyer first. You can divulge details that are common knowledge such as those that are already found in the police report. 

Consistency is key when it comes to sharing information. What you have shared to the police who investigated the accident, should be the same information you share to the insurance company of the at fault party. Any inconsistencies to your testimonials can be used against you, especially if it has been recorded.

Also do not divulge personal thoughts. Avoid telling more than the insurance adjuster is asking. Do not voluntarily tell information that is not being asked of you. If there are things you are not sure of, don’t tell it to the insurance adjuster as if it is a fact. 

A lawyer from Learn Zenk Barristers & Solicitors can help you in preparing to meet with the at fault party and what to say in case they are fishing for more information that isn’t really necessary. 

To know more about Learn Zenk Barristers & Solicitors in Coquitlam please visit our website: learnzenk.com

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