FAQs

This is probably one of the most frequent questions we answer at Horst Shewmaker. Case value depends on so many facts that it impossible to list every item. But a few of the major items when evaluating your case include what kind of injury you have suffered, property damage, how much your medical expenses total, jurisdiction of the at fault party, and wage loss. For a more detailed and individual case evaluation, please call and talk to one of the lawyers at HS Law. Consultations are always free!

At HS Law, we charge no fees or costs up front. You do not pay anything to us until you receive a verdict or settlement in your favor. If for some reason we are unable to resolve your case, even if we have put numerous hours of work into it, you do not owe us anything.

It is unlikely your insurance will get cancelled or go up in premiums. According to Georgia law, it is unlawful for a motor vehicle insurers to apply surcharges related to accidents in which insured not at fault. The law goes on to say, “no insurer shall surcharge the premium or rate charged on a policy of motor vehicle insurance or cancel such policy as a result of the insured person’s involvement in a multi-vehicle accident when such person was not at fault in such accident.

Another Georgia Law also addresses the specific insurance laws related to this situation, “No notice refusing the renewal of a policy shall be sent for two or fewer of the following within the preceding 36 month period (1) accidents involving two or more motor vehicles in which the driver of the insured automobile under this subparagraph was not at fault; (2) uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage claims, (3) comprehensive coverage claims; and (4) towing or road service coverage claims.”

If you do not have health insurance, we work with doctors who will treat you now in exchange for being paid out of the settlement for their fees. Insurance companies know that most people without insurance will simply settle for whatever they can get because insurance companies only pay one lump sum settlement. To get any money from an insurance company, you will have to sign a release. If you sign a release, it almost certainly ends any and all claims. Do not do this if you are in pain. Call HS Law. We can help facilitate medical treatment for you.

Money. The hospital often makes more money if it does not bill your health insurance. You probably heard something like this at the hospital when you tried giving the staff your health insurance: “Don’t worry about that, we bill the car insurance because this is an accident claim.” This statement is very misleading. The only time that a hospital or medical provider will bill car insurance is when you have medical payments coverage under your own car insurance. Keep in mind that medical payments coverage (often referred to as “Med Pay”) typically has very low limits that will not even begin to cover a hospital visit.

Instead of using your health insurance, the hospital often files a lien against your case. Hospitals do this because they must accept contractual rates from health insurance providers. The payment made by health insurance can be very small and the hospital, if in network with your health insurance, must accept what it is paid. Frankly, the hospital makes more money when it files a lien and collects from your settlement. Therefore, it is very important to make sure the hospital bills your health insurance. At HS Law, our car accident lawyers make sure that happens.

Uninsured drivers are far more common than you think. At HS Law, we deal with this issue almost daily. You may have uninsured motorist coverage that protects you and likely it will not increase your premiums (we address this in another FAQ). Uninsured motorist coverage is simply insurance to protect you against other motorists’ lack of insurance. Even if you personally do not have uninsured motorist coverage, there may be other ways an HS Law car accident lawyer can obtain compensation for your injuries.