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Attorney Anthony D. Castelli
8170 Corporate Park Drive Suite #220
Cincinnati, Ohio 45242
800-447-6549
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When Do You Address a Car Accident or Other Injury Settlement

June 14, 2012 By Tony Castelli

 

You’ve met your client, executed your fee agreement, gathered your facts and put your file together. When is it time to consider settlement?  You get a very lawyered up answer on this: It depends on the case.  But here are some thoughts for personal injury lawyers as to when settlement should be broached.

 

First and foremost, check the statute of limitations.  Unless it is at least six months away, file your complaint.  Don’t wait assuming you will settle.  I could argue that you want to file even more quickly whenever practicable.  You really do want to avoid sitting up on the statute of limitations.  Literally hundreds of legal malpractice lawsuits have resulted from personal injury lawyers who have thought the case was “sure to settle” only to get hit over the head with an expiring statute of limitations or a failure to gather all of the right defendants in time.

 

You can always serve the defendant, send a copy to the claims representative with whom you’ve been dealing, and agree to take no further action during a fixed time period, during which it is understood that settlement negotiations will be addressed.  Also be sure early on, when opening your file, whether there are any statutory notice provisions with which you must comply pre-suit.  Claims against state and local governments typically have provisions such as these, which require specific notice to be given to designated officials.  The time limits for providing notice are usually much shorter than the statutory limitations period for the cause of action, and providing notice is generally a prerequisite to being able to file a lawsuit.  Miss one of these and the next thing you will get is a motion to dismiss, followed shortly by a bar complaint, a claim for legal malpractice, or both.

 

If you do not have an impending limitations problem, you may wish to approach settlement as shortly after the date of the accident as possible, usually within the first year and well before filing your complaint, if:

 

•             The facts situation is clear

•             You have identified the defendant

•             Damages are modest; and

•             Liability is clear, whether or not it is in your favor.

 

In every case where limitations is not an issue, settlement discussions should not begin until your injured client has reached maximum medical improvement.  What is maximum medical improvement?  It is the point in time when your client’s injuries are completely healed, or he has reached the maximum benefit medical treatment will provide and his injuries have become permanent.  Generally, I advise not approaching settlement discussions until the client has been at maximum medical improvement for at least ninety days.  This allays fears that follow-up treatment will be needed for any remaining residual complaints, or that the client has merely plateaued and will heal further with the passage of time.  Also, in the event of a permanent injury, you will need some time after the completion of medical treatment to secure documentation of the permanent nature of the client’s injuries.  Moreover, if those injuries will affect the client’s ability to work or to earn an amount comparable to his pre-injury wages, you will need time to secure additional documentation of those damages, such as a vocational assessment, or a report from an economist.  Make sure you don’t fail to seek recoverable damages in a premature rush to the settlement table.

 

One more important lesson worth keeping in mind.  I remember as a young lawyer thinking it was a sign of weakness to seek out settlement.  I defended a case once where the plaintiff’s lawyer was begging the defendant’s to settle from the very beginning.  While begging, he worked up his case right, put on a great four month trial, and got a $2 million verdict against us.   When I asked him about it, he said I want to settle every case up until the time the high court affirms my verdict.   My take home message from this is not to be afraid to seek settlement as long as you are doing all of the right things to get ready to try your case.

 

Ronald V. Miller, Jr. is a personal injury lawyer .  You can learn more about Ron and his law firm here.

 

Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

Miller & Zois

 

www.millerandzois.com

This  post is offered as a public service by Anthony Castelli Attorney focusing on Ohio injury accident law. I want to thank Ron Miller Esq. for taking time  from his busy practice to write this helpful article for attorneys as well as accident and injury victims.

 

Filed Under: car accident injury settlement calculator Tagged With: car accident settlement, car accident settlement lawyer advice, personal injury settlement

Before You Hire A Cincinnati Car Accident Lawyer Read Attorney Advertising Revealed

May 23, 2012 By Tony Castelli

Attorney Advertising revealed

Car accident injury victims suffer not only from their injury , but from the risk of hiring a car accident attorney that may be an ambulance chaser or taking their chances of  getting ripped off by big insurance by representing themselves. People seriously injured in an auto accident by the fault of another deserve to be made whole for their damages. But what is the best way for a bodily injury victim to get the most money.

Some car crash victims try to handle their case by themselves. The insurance companies even fosters this. They play into the, all too sad but true stereotype, of the greedy ambulance chasing lawyer out to make a fast buck. Sad to say there are lawyers like that. But a careful person can gain the knowledge  to hire the right lawyer, especially in the day of the internet.

Many people are surprised at how many lawyers write them letter after they were hurt in a car wreck. Some think it’s an invasion of privacy. Others, usually with little experience of the legal system will hire a lawyer that writes them through the mail. Otherwise the lawyers would stop writing these letters. But what do you really know about a lawyer that sent you a letter. Are they skilled and compassionate or are they running through many cases as fast as they can?

Because I hate seeing people get ripped off by lawyers or insurance companies I wrote the book  Attorney Advertising Revealed . You can click on the link to download it for free. As stated by the publisher:

 In his new book Anthony Castelli gives you a rare look inside lawyer advertising. He pulls back the curtain on what he terms “meaningless” lawyer advertising. There is nothing worse than making the mistakes of relying on big insurance to protect your rights or hiring a lawyer that’s not competent. From his position as an experienced insider, Anthony explains what to watch out for and what steps to take to help you hire a good personal injury lawyer.

So if you make the decision that you need the guidance and help of an experienced car accident injury lawyer the tools are available to you to find a good car accident injury lawyer. But before you hire an attorney or talk with an adjuster read the book.

Anthony Castelli Attorney Cincinnati, Ohio

8170 Corporate Park Drive #220

513-621-2345

 

Filed Under: hiring a car accident attorney Tagged With: car accident lawyer, car accident settlement, cincinnati car accident attorney

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Happy Results! Mr. Castelli, thank you for everything!  You got me results and I really appreciate it!

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Jodi Barkley
I was hurt in a motorcycle accident.  It was an awful time for me.  Fortunately, I hired Anthony Castelli as my lawyer.  He answered my questions and dealt with the insurance companies.  He really helped when I needed it the most and I highly recommend Mr. Castelli to anyone who is seriously injured in a car or motorcycle accident.  I will be eternally grateful  Thank you!

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Randi Smith
Tony – Thank you so much for helping me after I got hurt. I was lost and didn’t know what to do. You took over and made sure I got what I deserved. I was very happy with my compensation. If any of my friends or family ever needs a personal injury lawyer, I will definitely tell them to hire you! Thank you!

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Steve Mages
Thank you so much for all of your diligent effort. Your personal attention to our case and the level of support were incredible. Every time I spoke with you, I felt like you were a member of our family helping us through a very difficult time. I can’t thank you enough.

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Karen Strong
Attorney Castelli was on my side from the beginning.  Everything he did was in my best interest.  I highly recommend Mr. Castelli to anyone who has a serious personal injury claim.  Thank you!

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