Recent Blog Posts

Uninsured Motorist Coverage.

Pelham Law — Fri, 06 May 2011 20:28:00 GMT

What is Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage? This type of coverage is commonly referred to as UM coverage. It is an optional coverage that a person can purchase on their own auto insurance policy. This coverage normally equals the amount of Bodily Injury/Liability coverage on your policy, but it can be for a different amount.

If you are involved in a motor vehicle wreck and the at fault driver does NOT have bodily injury or liability coverage to cover your injuries and pain and suffering, then you can file a claim with your own insurance company if you have UM coverage. This also applies if the at fault driver does not have sufficient coverage.

For example, I had a client who suffered severe injuries in a car wreck. The other driver only had $50,000.00 in bodily injury/liability coverage. Fortunately, my client had purchased $100,000.00 in UM coverage on his policy and I was able to collect a total of $150,000.00 for my client.

Unfortunately, many people do not know about UM coverage because their agent does not advise them or their agent does not properly explain the benefits of UM coverage. So many clients have come into my office and told me that they purchased "full coverage" for their car insurance. However, there is no legal definition to "full coverage" in Florida.

I have turned away many cases because the at fault driver does not carry liability insurance and the client did not purchase UM coverage. Due to the poor economy, this happens frequently; though, it happened too much even during good economic times.

I recently settled a case for $50,000.00, which was the policy limits of the at fault driver. My client suffered a severe neck injury and had to have surgery on his neck fusing it together. His claim was worth much more than $150,000, but he did not have UM coverage on his car. Therefore, the settlement was limited to the $50,000.00 policy of the at fault driver.

I recommend that everyone should purchase as much UM coverage as they can possibly afford in their budget. If you have any questions, feel free to email or call me. There is no fee and no obligation for our initial conference.

Dealing with insurance adjustors

Pelham Law — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 19:53:00 GMT

What do you do when the at fault driver's insurance adjustor calls you immediately after the accident and wants to settle with you? How do you respond when they tell you that an attorney will not be able to get more compensation for you so why pay a high fee? This happens more than you can imagine, especially involving car wrecks in Tallahassee and the Florida Panhandle. My recommendation is not to rush a settlement, whether you plan on hiring a personal injury attorney or not. Your health is more important than settling your case. I recommend that you first get fully examined by a doctor to determine the extent of your injuries. Then, follow through on the doctor's treatment plan so you can see whether your injuries are permanent or not. Will you be left with permanent pain? Permanent scarring? Permanent restrictions? How will your injuries affect your job? Will it reduce your ability to earn money? Or reduce your ability to get pay raises in the future? Will you need future surgery or treatment? These important questions, and many more, should be answered before you settle. In my 18+ years as a personal injury lawyer, I have had many clients who were offered settlements by the adjustor before they hired me. In an overwhelming number of those cases, I was able to obtain a higher net settlement to my client (after my fees and costs were deducted) than the orginal offer. The insurance adjustor is looking out for the insurance company. The adjustor knows how to value a personal injury case. But most people injured in accidents do not know the true value of their case. This is why I recommend anyone injured in an accident to consult with a personal injury attorney to determine the merits of their case. At The Pelham Law Firm, I offer free consultations. I get paid only if I get my client a recovery -- so there are no attorney fees or costs unless I get my client money.

Welcome to my Tallahassee Personal Injury Website and Law Blog

Personal Injury Attorney — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 19:31:00 GMT

I am pleased to announce the launch of my new personal injury law blog. I have an RSS feed available for you here.