Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do I need an Attorney?
2. Do I need to seek medical treatment?
3. What if my back was sore before the accident and now it is worse? Do I still have a personal injury claim?
4. After a car accident what are my damages exactly?
5. Will my health insurance cover my medical expenses for an Arizona personal injury claim?
6. What is medical payments coverage or personal injury protection?
7. What happens if the person that caused the accident does not have insurance?
8. What if my injuries are so great that the other person's insurance is not enough?
9. I have been released from the doctor. How much will my personal injury settlement be and will my doctor bills be paid?
10. Should I give a statement to the other person's insurance company?
11. The other person's insurance company has sent me medical authorizations to sign, should I?
12. The other person's insurance company just showed up with a check for my personal injury. What should I do?
13. Can I settle the property damage portion of my case before a personal injury settlement?
14. How long does the other person's insurance company have to pay for my rental car?
15. I paid 30,000.00 for my car, it is a total loss, and the insurance company only wants to give me 12,000.00?
16. I just bought my car and now it has lost value as a result of the accident. What do I do?
17. I have tried to handle the insurance company on my own and now they are not returning my calls. Can you help?

1. Do I need an Attorney?


If you are involved in a Phoenix, Arizona personal injury case it is extremely beneficial to have a Maasen Injury Law attorney advocating for your rights. The insurance company of the involved parties will be working on their behalf and have an obligation to not only believe what their insured is saying but also to defend him/her in a lawsuit. It is the insurance company's goal to pay the least amount possible on any claim which is why it is important to contact our office to speak to someone regarding your case and ensure that you are compensated fairly.
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2. Do I need to seek medical treatment?


If you are involved in any type of accident you should always be evaluated by qualified and competent medical physicians. Sometimes pain and/or discomfort do not manifest themselves until days later. The longer you wait in seeking needed medical treatment for your personal injury claim, the greater the possibility the insurance company will claim your injuries are related to something else or caused by a different event.
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3. What if my back was sore before the accident and now it is worse? Do I still have a personal injury claim?


The person that is at fault for the accident or that caused the accident owes you for the damages that you sustain as a result of the accident. If you had a previous existing condition and now it has been exacerbated or worsened then you are entitled to recover for the aggravation of that injury.
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4. After a car accident what are my damages exactly?


This is a difficult question to answer as many different variables present themselves. Generally speaking, if you are involved in a car accident and it is determined that the other person is at fault you are entitled to reimbursement of medical care, prescriptions, wage loss, loss of companionship, and damage to your vehicle and rental car expenses.
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5. Will my health insurance cover my medical expenses for an Arizona personal injury claim?


Yes. However, this may be subject to your health care insurance deductibles and other matters. If your health insurance does make payments for medical care or expenses they will likely subrogate those payments if there is a recovery from the person that caused the accident.
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6. What is medical payments coverage or personal injury protection?


Medical payments coverage or personal injury protection is coverage purchased through your car insurance company that will cover your medical bills up to a covered amount. These payments are made without regard to who is at fault for the accident. It is a useful and wise coverage to include when purchasing or renewing your insurance policy.
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7. What happens if the person that caused the accident does not have insurance?


This is not a wise determination to be made simply by reviewing the police report. There are other avenues that must be investigated to properly determine if the other party in fact does or does not have insurance coverage. Often if there is no insurance information listed on the police report the attorney's office is able to obtain that person's insurance information or determine if there is insurance. However, if you have uninsured motorists coverage on your policy you may be able to recover from your own insurance company for the accident.
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8. What if my injuries are so huge that the other person's insurance is not enough?


Arizona law requires a person to carry the state minimum insurance limits of 15/30. This means that the most any one person can recover as a result of an accident is $15,000.00 and the most that the insurance company will pay out as a result of the total loss is $30,000.00. This becomes a complex and difficult situation if there are multiple persons injured and all have large medical bills due to personal injury. Regardless of your injuries, big or small, you should consult with our office so that qualified attorneys can review the insurance policies involved and the facts of the loss.
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9. I have been released from the doctor. How much will my personal injury settlement be and will my doctor bills be paid?


As a rule you should never settle your personal injury case until you have been completely released from medical care at 100% medical maximum improvement; this is because when you make an Arizona personal injury claim settlement you are releasing your rights to recover from all known and unknown injuries and consequently may not settle your case for the full value of your injuries. Obviously, all medical bills incurred as a result of the accident should be paid for by the other person's insurance company but this does not mean the full medical bill will be paid. Insurance adjuster's always argue about the cost of your medical treatment, the extent of time you received medical treatment and the nature of your injuries. Often if you deal with an insurance company on your own the insurance company will go to medical providers and ask those providers to reduce the medical bills and keep the money for themselves. You are the one that was injured and if any reductions are obtained from medical providers that money should go to you, the injured person, not back to the insurance company. Insurance companies work hard to maintain low expenses and will always pay less than the true value of your claim. For this reason and others you should not deal with the insurance companies alone and should contact Maasen Injury Law to represent you in your case.
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10. Should I give a statement to the other person's insurance company?


This is not generally a good idea and should be discouraged without first consulting with our office. If you provide a statement to the other person's insurance company without representation, questions may be asked that are improper and answers may be elicited from you that the insurance company would otherwise have no right to know, let alone ask.
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11. The other persons insurance company has sent me medical authorizations to sign, should I?


We generally do not recommend signing such papers. Again, the insurance company may be requesting information that they otherwise would not have a right to obtain. Obviously, the insurance company is entitled to see your medical bills and records relating to the accident but they do not have a right to request ALL of your medical records. Medical information and the ability to obtain that information is a privileged matter. You should consult with our office before signing or returning anything to the insurance company so that we can ensure your rights are protected and that you are treated fairly.
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12. The other person's insurance company just showed up with a check for my personal injury. What should I do?


At times, insurance companies act quickly to attempt to resolve your personal injury claim. Most of the time when this happens, it is right after the accident and the injured person has yet to seek medical treatment. Do not accept any check from an insurance company until you have called our office.
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13. Can I settle the property damage portion of my case before settling my personal injury?


Yes. If you already know the extent of damage to your vehicle and have a shop that is able to repair your vehicle you can do so. However, do not cash any check that the insurance company gives you until the vehicle has been dismantled and all damage accounted for. It is alright to allow the car repair shop to speak with the insurance company about the repairs and is often more convenient. However, if you do not think things are being handled appropriately or if you feel that you are being taken advantage of contact our office immediately.
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14. How long does the other person's insurance company have to pay for my rental car?


The other person's insurance company or at fault party owes you for a rental car for a reasonable amount of time. This means that if your car is taken into the shop immediately after the accident and the shop states it will take 3 weeks to repair your vehicle then you are owed for a rental car for three weeks. You are owed for the rental car whether you rent one or not. This is also known as loss of use, however you cannot get both. You are not entitled to rental car expenses if you are the one that caused the accident. You would have to check with your own insurance company to verify if you have rental car coverage or not.
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15. I paid $30,000.00 for my car, it is a total loss, and the insurance company only wants to give me $12,000.00.


Unfortunately this is an all too common problem. The insurance company owes you for the value of your vehicle. The value of your vehicle is determined by various sources such as blue book guides or searching the market for similar vehicles. However, if you have gap protection on your vehicle your insurance company should pay the difference. Contact Maasen Injury Law to ensure that you receive the maximum compensation.
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16. I just bought my car and now it has lost value as a result of the accident. What do I do?


You are entitled to the diminished value amount of your vehicle. This is sometimes a drawn out and complex problem and you should speak to one of our Phoenix personal injury attorneys to ensure that your claim is handled properly.
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17. I have tried to handle the insurance company on my own and now they are not returning my calls. Can you help?


Most people initially try to deal with insurance companies on their own and quickly find themselves at the bottom of the pile. People that attempt to resolve their case with the insurance company directly sometimes do things that not only affect your claim but also affect your right to recovery. You may irreparably harm your personal injury claim and chance of recovery by handling things alone. If you are thinking of handling your case alone please call our office first and speak to one of our experienced personal injury attorneys.
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