Should I let an insurance company see my injuries in person before a settlement has even been offered?
I recieved a dog bite almost a year ago and hired an attorney quickly as the owner of the dogs was not willing to compensate me for my injuries. The owner also refused to give out their homeowner's insurance information, so I had to get an attorney to force them to give it up. I have been recieving medical treatment for my injuries and have a nasty scar on my breast. My attorney wants me to meet with them and the Insurance company to show them my injury in person. I have never heard of this being done before and I don't know if this a smart move on my attorney's part. Plus, I am very self conscious of the way my breast looks and don't like the idea of exposing myself to strangers. To my knowledge no settlement or agreement to do so has been put forth. Is this normal? What should I do?
Answers:
I would think it is normal, however a picture taken at a medical office should be what is required, not your exposing yourself to strangers. A picture is worth 1000 words and a notarized statement to say that the picture is recent (and date it) should be adequate. If they are now suggesting that cosmetic surgery should take place then go to a cosmetic surgeon (provide your attorney with the bill that you paid) and have them take a picture and provide you with an estimate of the cost to have that scar reduced, removed, fixed.
If your lawyer is suggesting it then it seems okay. He might want to use it as a scare tactic. Insurance companies are pains in the @$$ and it may be a great way to reach a settlement.
you do not have to show a breast to an insurance adjuster under any circumstances and if you are pressured to do so you could sue for sexual harassment paperwork from drs is adequate in this situation you really need to tell your attorney how you feel about this and if he continues to pressure you to show your breast to anyone but a dr you could contact the bar association for your state because of an ethics conflict
Having an attorney to represent you is a good thing. Having photos of your injuries is an essential piece of evidence for the court should your case go to trial. Insurance companies are usually eager to settle because if the court finds that they have been dealing in bad faith, they can get triple value penalties. I suggest that your attorney take pictures of your injuries and show those to the opposing insurance company. I had a case once of a model that had a motorcycle accident and ended up with a large scar on her hip and buttocks. She showed her injuries to the attorney and had it photographed for the insurance companies because her scar harmed her modelling career.
Good luck to you.
Think of it this way, if you were the insurance company, and I was asking you to pay for my injury, would you offer a settlement without seeing that I was actually injured? You can probably insist on a female adjuster, but I doubt you can avoid SOME ONE representing the insurance company viewing the injury.
The answers post by the user, for information only, FreeLawAnswer.com does not guarantee the right.
Answer question:
More Law Questions and Answers: