How Do West Virginia Lawyers Work to Win Auto Collision Cases?
Our team of legal advocates can:
- Carefully investigate the cause(s) of a crash to determine every liable party and all options for recovery
- Gather all available evidence, including crash photos, surveillance footage, police reports, witness accounts, etc.
- Find and work with expert witnesses (e., tire tread analysts, medical professionals, and accident reconstructionists) to strengthen a claim
- Stand up to insurance companies to make sure they don’t try to compromise or undercut an accident victim’s rights
- Aggressively pursue all available legal remedies to help accident victims maximize their recoveries.
Claimants should subsequently have family members call our West Virginia auto accident lawyers if they themselves are unable to due to the severity of their injuries. The sooner the call is made, the sooner a dedicated legal team can get started on the car crash case.
How Insurance Companies Try to Reduce Car Accident Claims
After a motor vehicle collision, many people assume the insurance company will simply review the facts and pay what is fair. Unfortunately, that is not typically how the process works. Insurance companies begin evaluating ways to reduce the value of a claim almost immediately after a crash occurs.
Recorded Statements
One common tactic involves requesting a recorded statement very early in the process. An injured person may still be shaken up, in pain, or unaware of the full extent of his or her injuries at that point. Statements made too soon can later be used to challenge the seriousness of the injuries or shift blame onto the victim.
Quick Settlements
Insurance adjusters may also offer quick settlements before someone fully understands the cost of future medical care, missed work, or ongoing treatment needs. Accepting an early settlement can prevent an injured person from seeking additional compensation later if complications develop.
Social Media and Pre-Existing Conditions
In some cases, insurance companies review social media accounts, or argue that pre-existing conditions (not the accident itself) caused the injuries. These disputes are common in cases involving back injuries, traumatic brain injuries, or chronic pain.
Waiting Too Long
Insurance companies may also attempt to argue that an injured person waited too long to seek treatment or failed to follow medical recommendations closely enough after the crash. In reality, many people try to continue working or managing family responsibilities before realizing how serious their injuries truly are. Delayed symptoms are especially common with back injuries, soft tissue injuries, and traumatic brain injuries.
At Jan Dils, Attorneys at Law, our West Virginia attorneys understand the pressure that injured people face after a serious crash. Our team can communicate directly with insurance companies, preserve evidence, and help protect clients from tactics designed to minimize valid claims. As the largest female-founded law firm in the country, we are committed to standing beside injured people throughout the legal process.
What Compensation Might Not Be Obvious After a Car Accident?
After a serious car accident, many people focus first on the most immediate expenses, such as emergency medical treatment or repairing a damaged vehicle. However, some damages continue developing over time, especially when injuries require ongoing treatment or permanently affect a person’s daily life.
Economic Damages
Economic damages include more than current medical bills. An injured person may later need physical therapy, pain management treatment, surgery, prescription medications, rehabilitation services, or specialized medical equipment. Travel expenses for repeated appointments and modifications to a home or vehicle may also become necessary in severe injury cases. Someone who cannot return to work immediately may lose wages, bonuses, retirement contributions, or future earning opportunities while recovering.
Some car accident injuries create permanent limitations that affect long-term employment. A person may no longer be able to perform physically demanding work, maintain a regular schedule, or continue in the same career field because of chronic pain, mobility issues, or cognitive difficulties following a traumatic brain injury. These future financial losses can become an important part of a car accident claim.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages can also have an effect on an injured person’s life. Serious crashes leave people dealing with ongoing physical pain, emotional distress, anxiety, sleep problems, or fear of driving. Independence may become limited, and injuries could prevents someone from participating in activities they once enjoyed.
At Jan Dils, Attorneys at Law, our West Virginia lawyers understand that the true cost of a car accident is not limited to the first hospital bill or insurance estimate. Our team works to evaluate both the financial and personal effects of a crash so that important damages are not overlooked during settlement negotiations or litigation.
