How to Win Your Personal Injury Claim

This is the second NOLO book I've bought ("patent it yourself" was the first), and I'm equally impressed at its organization and vital usefulness. This guidebook is as essential for navigating a damages or personal injury claim as a travel guide is for navigating a new city. It specifically lists steps that you need to take, forms that you need to fill out (including their URLs when possible), letters that you need to write, and walks you through the whole process. It also informs you what types of shenanigans insurance companies can and cannot get away with. 90% of my legal questions were answered in this book, so that when I finally met with a legal ad adviser face to face, I was well prepared and only needed to ask a few more nuanced questions. My car was totaled and without collision coverage, I was forced to deal with the other guy's insurance company directly (Liberty Mutual, ranked one of the lowest in consumer reports because of their aggressive tactics when filing a claim). Liberty Mutual denied liability without giving any written justification even though their guy hit me while taking a left turn. This book has prepared me for the fight though. I plan to represent myself in small claims court. This book is also more useful and broadly applicable than just personal injuries. In my auto accident, I was not injured and was not even considering faking, so most attorneys wouldn't take my case. But I just ignored the chapters on personal injury and focused on the sections discussing liability and property damages.

I would recommend you buy this book which is published by Nolo Press, which is probably the most prominent self-help legal publisher. It is a very good overview and covers alot. If you had to buy one book only, this is it. I had also bought "Car Accident Secrets" which is written by an insurance "insider". I don't really recommend it. It only provided general/basic info. which is covered by Joseph Matthew's book. Good luck.

I had a boating accident (I was a passenger) in 2001. I heard terrible stories from people who had hired lawyers and ended up with nothing. I bought this book and after 2 years of medical procedures & appointments, when I was done, I composed a letter requesting $85,000 from the insurance company (who had already been paying all my medical bills), State Farm. The policy was for $100,000 and the boat owner had only made one month's payment. I figured I would negotiate down to $65,000 minimum. I reasoned that if I ended up having to get a lawyer, I would ask for the $100,000 and end up with $66,000 (lawyer would get 30 percent). With my letter, documentation and before, during and after pictures, State Farm ended up awarding me $90,000. $5,000 more than I had requested. I highly recommend this book, but you must be thorough and patient. It's a lot of "legwork". A lot of research and stuff, but who knows your "pain and suffering" better than you. Certainly not a lawyer!!! The money is gone, but I used it to keep my paralyzed 83 year old mom at home with a caregiver until she passed away!

I AM STILL IN THE PROCESS OF DEALING WITH THE INSURANCE COMPANY ON MY WIFE'S CLAIM. I READ THE BOOK AND I DEVELOPED A STRATEGY IN ORDER TO BE EDUCATED ABOUT THE NEGIATION PROCESS. I DON'T THINK IT GAVE ME AN ADVANTAGE IT JUST HELPED BUILD A STRATEGY WHICH SO FAR DOES NOT SEEM TO BE VERY SUCCESFUL.

I bought this book after two big-name lawyers refused to take my case and a third one offered to help me in a small claims court for a third of the final settlement amount. Since the max reward in a CA sall claims court is $5,000, after a third was taken out, I would hardly be able to pay off all my medical bills. But after reading this book and following its instructions on how to collect evidence and how to write a demand letter, I was able to settle my own claim for $4,750.00. Anyone that is stressed and confused about what to do after being in a car accident will find this extremely helpful.