By Dan Baldyga

There are DOZENS of insurance claim possibilities which will increase the dollars awarded you in the settlement of your personal injury insurance claim. Some of them rarely see the light of day but some do. The six I’ve listed below are crucial for you to be aware of as you prepare to go to war with Adjuster I.M. Smart of Granite Mountain Insurance regarding the value of your loss. They are:

(1) EMOTIONAL REACTIONS TO YOUR INJURY: When it comes to placing a dollar value on the “Emotional Reaction” of an injury one enters into an area where most individuals, even experienced claims adjuster’s and many in the legal fraternity, are at a loss.

Four often ignored “Characteristic Symptoms” can be: Confusion, Anxiety, Depression and Denial. “Denial”, that is, regarding the seriousness of your injury and the constant pain you feel. This usually comes to pass when one refuses to complain anything is seriously wrong, convincing themselves it will work itself out because they’re one tough individual.

If any of the above “Emotional Reactions” (which are a direct result of “Characteristic Symptoms“) becomes a reality it would be wise for you to talk it over with your Chiropractor regarding chatting with a shrink. Maybe you won’t immediately identify this as something you need to have checked out but the person you climb into bed with probably will. When they say you're not functioning all that well, listen up! At that point you should swallow hard and obtain an expert’s opinion. You may consider yourself a muscular Power To Be Reckoned With but you’re not Superman so, consider talking to a specialist, to explain what’s happening, and let it all hang out.

Once you’ve been discharged, obtain your Chiropractor's written Medical Report and hand it to Adjuster I.M. Strong, along with their medical bills for your treatment. Is that legit? The answer is absolutely, yes! Can Smart refuse to accept them and suggest they add no value to your claim? The answer is absolutely, not!

(2) EMOTIONAL DISTRESS: Emotional distress is legitimate "pain and suffering" and you should be compensated for it. For example, problems that may develop over the effects of an accident within the area of your work or business, or perhaps interfere with your love life! Whatever it is that’s causing you problems you should probably see a specialist. Keep going back to see him for as long as it takes to return to normal. At the end of his treatment, when he's finally discharged you, ask for and obtain his written report. Present that to Adjuster Smart along with the specialist’s bill for their services.

This is a legitimate expense and it positively gives your personal injury more value !

(3) SECURING COMPENSATION FOR LIFE DISRUPTIONS: If your injuries caused you to miss some special training you had arranged to take advantage of, you'll probably, at some point, want to make that time up. The difficulty you may experience in making up that missed time (or perhaps never again being able to obtain it) has the potential to increase the value of your settlement. To achieve that you must obtain written proof and present that to Adjuster Smart.

Also to be taken into consideration is a vacation you may have been unable to take, or some recreational event’s in which you could not participate in and/or a missed special event, like a wedding, or a reunion, etc. All of these, properly documented, add value to your claim because they are specific examples of the inconvenience and discomfort you've endured as a direct result of your injury.

(4) YOUR AGE: In the evaluation of an individuals "pain and suffering", age is always a factor because the older you are the longer the periods of Total and/or Partial Disability will be. This will affect the course of treatment plus the length of time of the "pain killers" you’ve been ordered to take. For example: Over age 50 disability is about 10% to 15% longer, over age 60 disability is about 20% to 30% longer, over 70 disability can be 35% to 45% longer and over 75 disability can often be 50% or longer.

(5) PRE-EXISTING MEDICAL PROBLEMS: Also pre-existing conditions are factor’s that must be considered: For example: Arthritis, Sugar Diabetes, Pervious Injuries and/or Previous Operations that have left you with on-going problems, etc.

Whatever that pre-existing situation may be you should look to your chiropractor for advice. Don't avoid discussing this with him. It's your body and there's only one to a customer!

(6) ONE THING YOU SHOULD NEVER FORGET IS THAT THE VISIBLE DAMAGES TO YOUR MOTOR VEHICLE CAN VERY OFTEN PROFOUNDLY AFFECT THE AMOUNT OF MONEY YOU'RE EVENTUALLY PAID If your vehicle was badly smashed, that goes a long way proving that your injuries were sever and therefore painful. You must snap photographs of your motor vehicle. Shoot a couple rolls of colored and also black and white (black and white because in some instances colored photographs cannot be entered as evidence in a court of law). Take them from different angles and various distances. Like for example, 30 feet away, then 15, then right up close. Make two sets. One for you and one for the adjuster. Blow them up to  8X10 glossies and present them to him. Both the size of your repair bill and those photographs will go a long way towards proving two important points: First, that you know what you're doing and second, that the injuries you received from that smashing impact into your motor vehicle (and the long period of pain, suffering and discomfort you‘ve had to deal with) - - if and when viewed by a judge or jury - - are proof positive of what your injury caused your body to endure.

DISCLAIMER: The only purpose of this claim tip, Six Crucial Insurance Claim Possibilities, is to help people understand the motor vehicle accident claim process. Neither Dan Baldyga nor Physicians Plus make any guarantee of any kind whatsoever; NOR do they purport to engage in rendering any professional or legal service; NOR to substitute for a lawyer, an insurance adjuster, or a claims consultant, or the like. Where such professional help is desired it is the INDIVIDUAL'S RESPONSIBILITY to obtain said services.

Dan Baldyga's latest book AUTO ACCIDENT PERSONAL INJURY INSURANCE CLAIM (How to Evaluate and Settle Your Loss) can be found on the internet at "http://www.autoaccidentclaims.com"  or your favorite bookstore.

                                                Copyright (c) 2003 By Daniel G. Baldyga. All Rights Reserved

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