Delaware Personal Injury Attorneys
At Ramunno & Ramunno, P.A., we believe that it is best to have an attorney if you are hurt in a car accident, slip-and-fall, or work-related accident, since insurance claims can be complex and have various competing interests that are adverse to your best interests. Even using the wrong words or phrases can create red flags that could mean that your claim might be delayed or even denied.
Many times, the insurance company for the driver at fault will quickly offer you $1,000 or so to settle your case. If you accept a settlement offer, you would be waiving any further compensation for your unknown injuries, or for pain and suffering in the future. But if the payment is made for property damage only, or under no-fault insurance coverage, then there would be no waiver. These are just some of many complex reasons why we believe that it is best to have an attorney involved at an earlier stage rather than later. At our firm, we have over 46 years of experience in personal injury claims arising out of automobile accidents, slip-and-falls, work-related accidents or other accidents, and have successfully represented thousands of claimants over the years.
No-Fault Insurance in Delaware
If you are involved in an automobile accident, you should be aware of our no-fault law and how it affects you. Briefly, under Delaware’s no-fault law, your own insurance company (or the insurance company of the car in which you were riding) must pay for medical expenses and loss of wages incurred within two years of the accident. You can only recover medical expenses and loss of wages from your own insurance company and not from the insurance company of the fault driver.
You need not worry that your insurance premiums will increase, since your insurance company will get reimbursed from the insurance company of the other driver, and therefore, will not be losing any money. Your insurance company will have no reason to increase your premiums.
Of course, you should keep in mind that what you submit to your own insurance company will eventually be sent to the insurance company of the other driver. So, our Wilmington insurance claims attorneys are very careful as to how the no-fault claims and PIP forms are submitted to the no-fault insurance carrier.
We Handle All Your Insurance Claims and Issues
As to the remainder of your claim — involving medical expenses and loss of wages after two years, your pain and suffering, mental anguish, and any permanent injury, etc. — it will be against the insurance company of the fault driver.
We have many years of experience in dealing on a daily basis with insurance companies and we have found out that unless we want to settle for very little, we cannot settle the claim until we know the full extent of your injuries, and if they will be permanent. Usually, the doctor will not be able to answer those questions until treatment and testing is done. Normally, it takes the doctors at least several months to one year to determine the full extent of your injuries and any future losses.
As to your property damage — that is, the damage to your car or other property — we can either proceed against your own insurance company under your collision coverage or we can recover it from the insurance company of the driver who was at fault. Usually, however, the insurance company of the at-fault driver will only settle your property damage if liability is clear.
If we cannot settle any part of your case, then we will file suit.
We will always keep you fully advised as to what is happening with your case. As we do with all our clients in any case we are handling, we will send you copies of all pleadings and correspondence, etc. We have a number of lawyers, paralegals, and other staff working as a team to help you get full compensation for your claims.
Insurance companies and others involved in these claims are always looking out for their best interests. We will always put our clients' interests first and foremost, since it is our job to protect your interests, not anyone else's. Contact us today if you want experienced representation for your personal injury claim.
Located in Wilmington and Middletown, Delaware, the law firm of Ramunno & Ramunno, P.A., confidently represents clients throughout Delaware, including the entirety of New Castle, Kent and Sussex counties, including Dover, Georgetown, Newark, Elsmere, Rehoboth Beach, Dewey Beach, Christiana, Claymont, Smyrna, Odessa, Milford, Millsboro, Bethany Beach, Fenwich Island, Harrington, Seaford and all of the surrounding areas. We also represent clients in Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.