Do NOT Give a Recorded Statement to an Insurance Company Before You Read This
1.
Insurance companies want to settle your case as soon as possible and for as small a settlement as possible.
They do all they can to discourage a claimant from hiring an attorney and they create a sense of urgency for you to act as quickly as possible. Because of this, more than 50% of all people in an accident don’t contact an attorney. John Foy & Associates is an Atlanta-based firm that is available to you 24/7. Someone will answer our phone at 404-400-4000. “We can get you help right now, if you need medical care or transportation, we can make that happen right now.” Says our firm founder John Foy. “We can help you now.”
2.
Once you sign a release for an accident your case is over forever.
“We hear sad stories every single week,” says John Foy. “ A lot of people are tempted and swayed to take the few thousand dollars right away.” But that money may not be enough. Often injuries may not be apparent until weeks after, signing a release will keep you from getting compensated. You are not an attorney; it’s easy to get confused by what you are signing. You may think you’re signing a property damage release when actually you’re signing a full and final release.
3.
“Insurance companies are an intimidating opponent that most people do not understand,” says Foy.
You need an expert like us on your side. You may have never been in an accident and suddenly you find yourself negotiating with a large insurance company. As much as you like your insurance agent, you are not dealing with them. You are up against a billion dollar international company that has all the resources in the world and the company is quickly sharing your data with other companies. You need an expert defender like John Foy & Associates, a long-established Atlanta law firm with more than 100 employees.
4.
Insurance companies can use your medical data against you.
Insurance companies will urge you to sign a medical release that gives them privileged information about any health issue you may have faced even though it is completely irrelevant to your case. For example, were you ever treated for alcoholism or drug addiction? How about any of your family members? Whatever you tell them will be information for anyone out there, including the other party’s attorney. And they can use that information against you.
5.
“All I did was tell the truth.”
Our clients tell us: “All I did was tell the truth.” Of course you have to tell the truth, but there are some facts that the other party has no right to know. “You can’t unring that bell,” says firm founder Foy. Insurance companies can then use your claim history against you someday. We will sit with you while you make a recorded statement with your company and any other company. Legally, you are obligated to cooperate with insurance companies. Cooperate through us; we want to protect you during the process.
6.
Even if you’re an educated intelligent person, you need a good attorney.
We’re the experts. In fact, we’re the local experts. John Foy & Associates has been representing Atlanta auto accident victims for more than 20 years. You may know our founder from his “Strong Arm” TV commercials and chances are you’ve run into him at a Braves game. That’s because he’s been committed to serving and living in this community for many years. He and his associates are the experts in Georgia plaintiff law and they have a cadre of experts who can help your case. You may think you understand complexities such as varying statute of limitations, but you’d be surprised at how quickly the law changes.
7.
You don’t know what kind of case you have.
You may think you’ve got a simple case, but the other party may be uninsured or there could be other complicating factors. Guess what, you are now in an adversarial role with your own insurance company. “I would not treat your insurance company any different from the defendant’s insurance company,” says John Foy.
8.
Sometimes injuries are not immediately apparent.
It’s natural to want to minimize your accident and refuse medical treatment. But a few days pass and suddenly you have headaches or neck pain. You may need to take time off of work. If you’ve quickly signed off on a release you CANNOT sue to be compensated for medical expenses. At John Foy & Associates, we take our time getting you the best medical treatment and we wait until you have healed as much as possible before we negotiate your claim.
9.
We can help even if you’ve already contacted your insurance company or not made a police report.
Ideally, you should contact the police after any accident, no matter how minor it appears. But frequently most people want to pretend the accident never happened. We can still take your case. And if you’ve already made a statement to your insurance company. We will fight to revoke your medical authorization and get a copy of whatever recorded statement you have made. We can’t undo what has been done, but says our founder John Foy, “We are confident that we can do better for you than you can on your own. The sooner we get your case, the better.”
10.
Accidents bring out predators.
Most people do not know that attorneys are not allowed to solicit business. It is unethical and illegal for us to contact you after an accident. But many people get phone calls from what we call “runners”—people whose main business is soliciting business for chiropractors, doctors and unethical lawyers. Our founder John Foy warns of these people. “You’re going to get a lot of pressure from these people who say, ‘We can put money in your pocket today, right now.’” We’re an ethical firm that has been in business more than 20 years. Our business—known as Atlanta’s “Strong Arm”–has been built by reputation and referrals from satisfied customers year after year. Someone from our firm will pick up the phone when you call John Foy & Associates at 404-400-4000, because accidents happen every day of the year, all hours of the night.