Below are some initial questions many clients have when they first contact Neuhardt Law Firm PC. The questions below may address many initial concerns you may have. If you don't find the answers here, you should contact us for answers to questions specific to your firm.

A: Since 1995, Allstate insurance company has been sending a letter to people injured by its policy holders. The letter, entitled "Do I Need an Attorney?", makes the following claims:

- Victims can negotiate a settlement with Allstate first, then hire an attorney and insist his fee be based only on the amount recovered above the Allstate offer.

Make no mistake about it, Allstate is not looking out for your interests. The insurance industry's own statistics demonstrate that it costs the insurance company an average of $9,000 more per claim when an attorney is involved for the injured person. The truth is that you should never settle a personal injury claim without consulting with an attorney. We never charge a fee for meeting with injured people and answering all of their questions in order that they can make a fully informed decision as to whether to hire an attorney who will be looking out for their rights.No insurance company is going to spend the time to discuss with you, in an unbiased fashion, the following topics:

The availability of other types of insurance payments to pay your bills, including medical payments, health insurance, worker's compensation and the relationship between each.

Allstate's letter does not tell you that in some instances, you must pay a portion of what you get from Allstate back to another insurance company. Nor would you be advised by Allstate's letter that some of these additional sources of funds require you to give prompt notice of the claim to the entity involved.

Whether you should seek additional medical care and what medical specialist might have insight into your particular problem. Time and time again we have heard from clients that insurance adjusters tried to make them believe that it was the insurance company's decision as to whether you should see a medical specialist.

How your settlement with the insurance company may affect other claims arising out of the accident, including medical malpractice claims and claims against other defendants. Release of your automobile accident claim may be argued to be a release of a doctor's negligence, even thought the doctor does not operate on until much later.

Whether you should, as Allstate will request, give authorization to the insurance company to obtain all of your medical records and wage information. Do you even know what is in those records? Irrelevant entries in medical charts may be used against you if the case does not settle.