What a lot of people do not realize is that insurance companies, like any other business entity, has protocol to follow to save money when making payouts to their clients. The insurance wants to cut costs and increase profits. What you may not know is that, according to a study commissioned by the insurance companies, claimants that are represented by lawyers receive an amount 2 to 3 times more than those not represented by an attorney, and this is after the attorney fees are paid.

Keep in mind that many times, injury symptoms (particularly brain injuries) do not appear right away. Although you may be symptom free or only have mild symptoms directly following the accident, a few weeks later, you may feel differently and start experiencing injury symptoms.

Also, doctors are usually not able or willing to assess a permanent medical condition until at least 6-12 months past accident. A quick settlement prevents an injured person from making a claim for permanent injury and the costs of any future medical treatment that may be needed.

My advice is simple: Do not settle your case unless you are absolutely sure that your injuries have resolved and you will have no problems in the future.

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For more on common mistakes made after a car accident, order your free Consumer Guide to Auto Accidents in Wisconsin or contact an experienced Wisconsin Car Accident Attorney.

Lousiana’s average premium is $2,510.87 compared with Maine’s at $902.85. Wisconsin’s average premium is $1,010.93.

Insure.com commissioned a survey from Quadrant Information Services. Average insurance rates were calculated for more than 2,400 vehicles for model year 2010.

One explanation for Maine’s average premium being so low is that there are very few drivers in Maine. Portland, the largest urban area in the sate, has excellent mass transit and a system for alternative transportation modes to the auto. Less cars on the roads helps limit the number of car accidents, which ultimately means less expenses having to be paid out by the insurance companies.

As Wisconsin elected officials continue the debate on transit options for Wisconsin, Maine can help demonstrate how alternative transportation modes translate into less taxpayers dollars for required household expenses.

For now, Wisconsin ranking of 4th least expensive state for car insurance gives us all one more reason to love our state.

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For more information on Wisconsin Car Accidents and Insurance.

Q:

A: Yes. A study by the Insurance Research Council (a nonprofit group funded by major insurance companies across the nation) and titled “Paying for Auto Injuries” found that the average total payout on claims that have an attorney is 4.8 times greater than those claims where the injured victim settled on his or her own.  This same study showed that individuals who use an attorney receive 3.28 times more money after the attorney’s fee is paid.  Most insurance claims adjusters are very aware of this study.  Therefore, to maximize profits, the insurance company trains its claims representatives to go to great efforts to dissuade people from hiring an attorney.

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For more information on Wisconsin Personal Injury Claims.

The recent popularity of Web 2.0 and Social Media sites have prompted the insurance industry to take notice. Many insurance companies now routinely utilize software programs that “scour” the Internet for social media information on injury victims. This includes all the popular social networking sites, including:

• FaceBook.com
• Twitter.com
• MySpace.com
• LinkedIn.com
• Classmates.com
• Ning.com
• Tagged.com
• Friendster.com
• and dozens of other sites

For years, unscrupulous defense attorneys hired by these insurance companies have used the formal discovery process to intimidate and harass personal injury victims. These defense attorneys now see social networking information as a new means to harass personal injury victims. Unfortunately, many judges have ruled in favor of defense attorneys and their insurance company clients in ordering the production of all of the social networking communications  under the theory that injury victims do not have a “reasonable expectation of privacy” when they communicate through these sites.

There have also been instances where defense attorneys have asked their legal assistants, paralegals, and even family members to “friend” an injury victim in order for the defense attorney to obtain the social networking communications. While this clearly violates the Wisconsin Supreme Court Rule prohibiting communications with a person that is represented by a different attorney, the damage may have already been done.

If you have been involved in a Wisconsin personal injury accident, be cognizant of the fact that there is an insurance company out their trying to invade your privacy and ALWAYS assume they will be reading your social networking status updates, posts and messages.

For more insight on how to protect your Wisconsin Personal Injury Case, Order your free copy of a Consumer’s Guide to Personal Injury Claims in Wisconsin.

Question:

Answer: While it may be tempting to not report the minor car accident to your insurance company, especially if you have had an accident before, not reporting it to your insurance company is a very bad idea.

Everyone makes mistakes. Not immediately reporting the claim means that if a couple of months from now the person whose car you crashed into begins to claim that the damages to his vehicle were greater than what you witnessed and also begins claiming that his neck pain has not gone away, you will find yourself having to defend the claim on your own.

If your insurance company first hears about this claim a few months after it happens, it will probably deny coverage to you because of late notice. You will then have to either try and defend yourself in court or hire a milwaukee car accident lawyer on your own dime; either way is probably going to be expensive for you in the end. If you report the claim promptly, the insurance company will defend the claim and bear the expense, even if the claim is frivolous.

In short, I would recommend reporting the claim. Better to be safe than sorry.