What is better for you financially- a Workers Compensation related auto accident or a fender bender car accident?
The easy answer is you would be better off not being involved in EITHER accident.
Why? because injury cases can take a real toll on your health and body.
It is just not worth the $$ to be involved in either situation.
But legally there are advantages to both types of situations. And disadvantages.
Pittsburgh Worker’s Comp and car accident attorney Bernie Tully would like to explain.
If you are involved in a Worker’s Comp related car accident,the bad news is Workers Comp. is primary.
That means that your bills are initially sent into your Worker’s Comp. insurance company for payment.
They are glad to pay your bills.
However if you get a settlement you have to pay back the insurance company comp group the $ they paid out for you. YUK!
There is one advantage to being involved in a Worker’s Comp. related car accident versus the traditional fender bender case.
The advantage is you get to deduct the percentage of your attorneys fees from the Worker’s Comp lien amount.
Suppose there is a $100,000 Worker’s Comp lien related to your car accident on the job.
You get to deduct $33,333 from the lien as your attorney fees.
If you decide to try to do all this yourself without an attorney, you did not get a credit for your attorney’s fees.
You have to pay the whole $100,000 lien back.
The other situation is if you’re just rear-ended in a traditional car accident on the highway.
The advantage here is your auto insurance is primary. They are duty-bound to pay your medical bills up to at least the first $5000 without getting reimbursed for the $ they put out.
It gets better.
Your auto insurance company will not even pay the dollar for dollar amount your medical bills. So if you have $15,000 in medical bills related to your injury including possible surgery, your car insurance company benefits of at least $5000 may be enough to cover the entire amount of that $15,000 bill.
And you do not have to penny of that back.
Pittsburgh Worker’s Comp. and car accident attorney Bernie Tully thinks you can see there are some advantages to both situations from a $ value perspective.
Which one is better for YOU depends on a whole lot of variables.
Call us for a Complimentary Strategy Session(CSS) in which we discuss various ways to maximize the $$ value of YOUR case.
For FREE.
I will even give you a written summary of what we talked about and at least 3 ideas of the best way to get you more money for your injury case.
Even if you decide not to retain us you will have that to take to any attorney you choose to help you.
How’s that for an offer?
Thanks for reading.
How you enjoying the summer? Any vacations coming up?
I would love to hear from you.
Your attorney friend Bernie Tully.