After suffering a serious accident, it’s common for injury victims and their families to have various questions related to their situation. Whether a victim is wondering what kind of medical care they can get covered, who is responsible for the accident, what legal options are available to them, or something else entirely, finding the answers can often be difficult for residents in Norfolk. At Joe Miller Law, Ltd., we understand this and, as such, have worked hard to provide a comprehensive and informative resource for frequently asked questions about personal injury law, workers’ compensation, and other related areas of law.
If you are unable to find the answer you need, or if you would rather speak with an attorney, call us today at (888) 694-1671.
WARNING: All of the information provided here is of a general nature only. The specific facts of your case may require a completely different answer. Do not base any decision with respect to your case solely on any of the answers found herein. Prior to making any decision with respect to your case, you should speak with a competent attorney who is familiar with the laws that relate to your case.
The General Progress of Your Case
- Why do I need an attorney?
- Who is liable for my car accident injury?
- What are hours of service regulations?
- What types of compensation am I eligible to receive?
- How long will my case take?
- Why do I have to finish my treatment before I can settle my case?
- Does it make a difference which kind of doctor I go to?
- Why does the paralegal seem to handle everything?
- What kind of communication should I expect with my attorney?
- Generally, what kind of expenses do you have in my case?
- Why do I have to pay back my Health Insurance or Medicare or Medicaid out of my settlement?
- What are Policy Limits and why is it important to know them?
- What is Med Pay?
- What does workers’ compensation pay for?
- Why do you want to know information about my insurance policy if the other driver is at fault?
- I was hit and injured by a hit and run driver and I do not have any way of knowing their identity. Is it possible that I still have a case?
- What is a demand letter? How much will my lawyer ask for in the demand?
- Can the lawyer settle my case without me knowing about it?
- What if I was hit by a drunk driver? Does that make a difference in the value of my case?
- How much is my case worth?
After Your Accident
- Should I give a statement to the insurance adjuster of the person who hit me?
- When should I call an attorney?
- Should I just call my family attorney or should I call one who focuses on injury cases?
- Should I wait for the Police after I have been in a collision?
- Should I get any information from witnesses? What kind of information?
- When should I seek medical attention?
- What type of medical attention should I seek?
- Should I use my Health Insurance when I seek medical attention for the accident, or should I give the facility the other drivers information?
- What if I do not have any health insurance? How am I supposed to treat for my injuries?
Questions about Litigation Issues
- My lawyer tells me we have to file suit. Why can’t we just settle without doing that?
- What are interrogatories?
- What is a deposition?
- Why do I have to answer depositions and interrogatories, if the accident was not my fault?
- What is the Statute of limitations?
- If I go to Court, will that increase my expenses? If so, what kind of expenses can I expect?
- Once I agree to settle my case, what happens then? Do I still have to go to Court?
- Is there any way that I can know what my expenses were before I accept an offer of settlement?
- What is mediation, and why should I agree to it?
Questions about Wrongful Death Claims
- Filing a lawsuit or bringing a claim for money against the perpetrator won’t bring back my loved one. Why should I consider pursuing a wrongful death claim? What will it accomplish? I am not the kind of person who sues people.
- Who is entitled to bring a wrongful death claim?
- Who is qualified to be the personal representative or administrator?
- The loved one who was killed in my situation was a child. They do not have any money or estate of any kind. So, I do not understand. How do I administrate something that doesn’t exist?
- The accident that killed my loved one was at least partially my fault. Am I prevented from getting any money because of that?
- How do I get wrongful death claim started?
- What will it cost me for the lawyers if I hire one for a wrongful death claim?
- Who is entitled to get damages related to the death of a loved one in a wrongful death case?
- How long to I have to bring a wrongful death claim?
- What kind of damages are the beneficiaries entitled to in a wrongful death claim?
- How much is a wrongful death claim worth?
- What kind of items will I need or my lawyer need to assist them with proving the wrongful death claim?
- How long does a wrongful death claim take until we get the money?
- The tragic death of our loved one has left us in horrific grief and pain. Some of us canât sleep. We feel like our lives have been ripped away from us. Are we entitled to damages for grief and our suffering as part of the wrongful death claim?
- Is there anything we can do or should do to help ourselves get through this while we are waiting for this claim to finish, such as counseling, psychotherapy, or psychiatric treatment?
- What about the terrible pain my loved one suffered when he or she was killed or treated in the hospital before they died? Are we entitled to recover damages for that?
- The medical bills associated with the attempts by doctors to save our loved oneâs life are huge. Whatâs the point of bringing a claim for wrongful death if the doctors and hospitals are going to take all the money?
- If we decide to settle the claim, how will the beneficiaries divide up the money that is available?
- Are there any special considerations if some or all of the beneficiaries are minors?
- Am I restricted in my use of the money from a wrongful death claim?
- Are there any special considerations if some or all of the beneficiaries are minors?
Virginia Workers Comp FAQ’s
- What do I do about my medical bills related to the accident if the workers comp insurance company is dragging its feet or if it has denied my claim?
- I got hurt at work, but it was just an accident. It was nobody’s fault. Am I still entitled to workers compensation?
- I got hurt at work, but my claim has been denied because my employer claims that my injury did not fit the definition of an ‘injury by accident’. What does that mean?
- I got hurt at work, but my employer says that he did not carry any Workers Compensation Insurance at the time of my injury. Am I out of luck?
- I am getting paid a weekly check after I got hurt at work, but it is not the right amount, and should be higher. Is there anything I can do?
- My compensation checks are coming late. What are my rights and what can I do about that?
- I sustained an injury on-the-job, but after that, I was fired. Can I still get workers compensation?
- What am I entitled to under Virginia Workers Compensation?
- I do not like the doctor that the workers compensation carrier has referred me to. Can I change doctors and go to a physician of my choice?
- The workers compensation doctor has released me to return to full duty; however, I am still in a lot of pain, and I do not feel that I’ll be able to do my job. What options do I have?
- The workers compensation doctor has released me to light duty work, but I am still in a lot of pain, and I am not sure I will be able to do my job. Am I still entitled to my workers compensation checks if I refuse to go to work?
- The workers compensation doctor has released me to light duty work, but my employer does not have any light duty work available. Am I still entitled to my workers compensation checks?
- The workers compensation doctor has released me to return to work with restrictions. Now my employer has created a job for me so I can sit at a desk and come back to work. Are they allowed to do that?
- The workers compensation doctor has released me to return to work, but told me I can never return to my old job because of my physical restrictions. I am worried about how I’ll get a new job. Am I entitled to keep getting my workers compensation checks while I look for a new job?
- The workers compensation doctor says that I should have surgery, but I am frightened and not sure if I should go forward? If I refuse to have the surgery, do I lose my compensation?
- The workers compensation doctor says that I should have surgery, but my employer utilized some type of independent medical doctor, who spent not even five minutes with me, wrote a letter and recommended that the workers compensation carrier not pay for the surgery. I need to get this surgery. What am I supposed to do now?
- I got hurt on the job, and my employer is paying my medical bills for my injuries and is paying my workers compensation. Do I still need an attorney?
- How much will it cost me to hire a lawyer on my workers compensation case?
- I am in this country illegally, but I got hurt on the job. Am I still entitled to workers compensation benefits?
- I have been released by the workers compensation doctor, and I am back to work full time. I had a fairly serious injury, and my employer paid me for my medical bills and paid my checks while I was out of work. Is that all I am going to be entitled to?
- What is a permanency rating and why is it important?
- I have been released by the workers compensation doctor, and they gave me a rating. They also told me I cannot go back to my job, because of my physical restrictions. Are you telling me that all I am entitled to is the lousy few weeks of payment from my impairment rating?
- What about my pain, suffering, and inconvenience? Am I not entitled to any compensation for that?
- How long will it take until I can expect to receive a result from my Workers Compensation Case?
- If I go to a hearing with the Workers Compensation Commission, can they award me a big sum of money, like if I went to a jury trial?
- How do I go about trying to get a settlement on my case?
- What exactly is mediation?
North Carolina Workers Comp FAQ’s
- What do I do about my medical bills related to the accident if the workers comp insurance company is dragging its feet or if it has denied my claim?
- I got hurt at work, but my employer will not pay my medical bills and has not paid me any compensation. What can I do and what are my rights?
- I got hurt at work, but it was just an accident. It was nobody’s fault. Am I still entitled to workers’ compensation?
- I got hurt at work, but my claim has been denied because my employer claims that my injury did not fit the definition of an ‘injury by accident’. What does that mean?
- I got hurt at work, but my employer says that they did not carry any Workers’ Compensation Insurance at the time of my injury. Am I out of luck?
- I am getting paid a weekly check after I got hurt at work, but it is not the right amount, and should be higher. Is there anything I can do?
- My compensation checks are coming late. What are my rights and what can I do about that?
- I sustained an injury on-the-job, but after that, I was fired. Can I still get workers’ compensation?
- I do not like the doctor that the workers’ compensation carrier has referred me to. Can I change doctors and go to a physician of my choice?
- The workers’ compensation doctor has released me to return to full duty; however, I am still in a lot of pain, and I do not feel that I’ll be able to do my job. What options do I have?
- The workers’ compensation doctor has released me to light duty work, but I am still in a lot of pain, and I am not sure I will be able to do even that job. Am I still entitled to my workers’ compensation checks if I refuse to go to work?
- The workers’ compensation doctor has released me to light duty work, but my employer does not have any light duty work available. Am I still entitled to my workers’ compensation checks?
- The workers’ compensation doctor has released me to return to work with restrictions. Now my employer has created a job for me so I can sit at a desk and come back to work. Are they allowed to do that?
- The workers’ compensation doctor has released me to return to work, but told me I can never return to my old job because of my physical restrictions. I am worried about how I’ll get a new job. Am I entitled to keep getting my workers’ compensation checks while I look for a new job?
- The workers’ compensation doctor says that I should have surgery, but I am frightened and not sure if I should go forward? If I refuse to have the surgery, do I lose my compensation?
- The workers’ compensation doctor says that I should have surgery, but my employer utilized some type of managed care organization, and their doctor, who has never seen me, wrote a letter and recommended that the workers’ compensation carrier not pay for the surgery. I need to get this surgery. What am I supposed to do now?
- I got hurt on the job, and my employer is paying my medical bills for my injuries and is paying my workers’ compensation. Do I still need an attorney?
- How much will it cost me to hire a lawyer on my workers’ compensation case?
- I am in this country illegally, but I got hurt on the job. Am I still entitled to workers’ compensation benefits?
- I have been released by the workers’ compensation doctor, and I am back to work full time. I had a fairly serious injury, and my employer paid me for my medical bills and paid my checks while I was out of work. Is that all I am going to be entitled to?
- What is a permanency rating and why is it important?
- I have been released by the workers’ compensation doctor, and he gave me a rating. He also told me I cannot go back to my job, because of my physical restrictions. Are you telling me that all I am entitled to is the lousy few weeks of payment from my impairment rating?
- What about my pain, suffering, and inconvenience? Am I not entitled to any compensation for that?
- If I go to a hearing with the Industrial Commission, can they award me a big sum of money, like if I went to a jury trial?
- How do I go about trying to get a “clincher” or settlement on my case?
- What exactly is mediation?
- I am on, or have applied for Social Security Disability. Won’t getting a sum of money in a Workers’ compensation Settlement take away my Social Security?
- If I receive a settlement, are the funds I receive subject to income tax?
- I did not suffer a specific injury on a specific day, or an “accident” on my job, but my doctor tells me that my injuries came about as a result of years of wear and tear from working on my job. Do I have any means of recovery under the North Carolina Worker’s Compensation Act?
- I am getting checks every week and my employer is paying my bills. What happens to my claim if I die right now?
- How long will it take until I can expect to receive a result from my Workers’ compensation Case?
