If you were recently injured in a motor vehicle accident that was not your fault, think about obtaining legal representation. An experienced attorney can help with important decisions in the crucial period immediately after an accident, during medical treatment, while negotiating with insurance companies and medical providers, and throughout the litigation.

Understanding if your accident was caused by negligence is important when considering hiring a lawyer, because the lawyer’s main purpose is to help get compensation for negligence claims.

Examples of accidents caused by negligence are accidents involving aggressive driving, drunk or impaired driving, failing to stop at a stop sign or stop light, failing to yield the right of way, inattentive driving or distracted driving, speeding, driving too fast for conditions, and failing to obey traffic laws.

It is common knowledge that people injured in accidents get the best compensation by hiring an attorney. For example, a 2014 Insurance Research Council study entitled “Attorney Involvement in Auto Injury Claims” showed that on average, accident victims receive 3.5 times as much money with a lawyer as without one.

1. Fight to get the maximum settlement or judgment for your injury claim
2. Protect your legal rights
3. Negotiate effectively with insurance companies and medical providers
4. Obtain medical records and reports from doctors to prepare for settlement negotiations and litigation
5. Provide experienced legal representation
6. Go to court if necessary to get the money you deserve
7. We work for a contingent fee, so we only get paid when you do
8. And more!

EXPERIENCE – How many years has the attorney been practicing and how many accident injury cases have they handled?

• In my 25+ years of practice, I have successfully represented at least 2,500 people who were injured in accidents. My experience covers a wide variety of injuries. I’ve dealt with most Nebraska healthcare providers and all major insurance companies.
• Lincoln Nebraska car accident attorney since 1998.
• Graduated from the Nebraska College of Law and was licensed to practice in 1998.

REPUTATION – Please read my Google reviews to see the many positive things my clients say about me.

Click here to read my Better Business Bureau (BBB) profile:

• My Google reviews are statements from my clients.
• A high Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating indicates a business is trustworthy. I have an A+ rating.
• Be skeptical when a law firm says they have award-winning attorneys. Every day I get several emails offering me an award for a fee.

FREE CONSULTATIONS – An initial no-obligation conversation helps you choose a lawyer. Prior to hiring me, my clients and I always have a thorough conversation about their accident including any questions they may have. After getting the details, I describe how I can help with their situation.

Steven A. Montag is a top Lincoln car accident lawyer. He has served Lincoln and all of Nebraska since 1998, and has offices in Lincoln and Omaha. The Montag Law Office has helped thousands of people make successful motor vehicle accident injury claims.

Here is how we do it:

INVESTIGATION – Our Car Accident Attorneys start with a thorough investigation of the circumstances of your accident.  We identify all parties who contributed to causing the accident.  A proper investigation involves reviewing the police report, interviewing witnesses and evaluating road conditions at the scene of the accident.  Photographing the vehicles involved and the accident scene is normally required.  Employing accident reconstruction specialists can also be part of making a strong case to prepare for litigation.

WE USE OUR EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE WITH ALL TYPES OF ACCIDENTS
AND INJURIES:

• Every Type of Vehicle Accident Claim including Car Accidents, Truck Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents, Moped Accidents,
  Bicycle and Pedestrian Accidents, Farm and Construction Equipment Accidents, Underinsured and Uninsured
  Accident Claims
• All Types Of Injuries including Catastrophic Injuries, Head and Brain Injuries, Spinal Cord Injuries, Neck and Back Injuries,
  Broken Bones, Permanent Impairments, Scarring and Disfigurement, Wrongful Death

All Types of Accident Circumstances including Rear-End Collisions, Head-On Collisions, Drunk Driving, Hit-And-Run, T-Bone, Left Turns, Interstate Accidents, Gravel Roads, Rollovers, and Lane Changes.

DEALING WITH INSURANCE COMPANIES – Insurance companies make their money by paying out as little as possible for injury claims.  If you have been injured by someone else’s negligent driving, you need an auto accident attorney to stand up to the insurance company.  Car Accident Attorney Steven Montag deals effectively with aggressive insurance companies.  His practice is exclusively dedicated to helping injured people.  Our car accident lawyers do not work for insurance companies and we never defend anyone who has caused a car accident.

It is important to try to deal cooperatively with insurance companies, but it is equally important to be on the lookout for problems. A list of insurance company practices that can harm your accident claim follows:

Disputing fault

Disputing fault for clear liability car accidents is a common insurance company tactic.  Although more than one driver can contribute to the cause of an accident, most accidents are caused entirely by one negligent driver.  In Nebraska, the amount of a settlement or court judgment is lowered if the accident victim is partly responsible for causing the accident.  An injury victim is completely barred from recovering damages from another driver if the injury victim is determined to be 50% or more at fault.  Insurance companies like to see contributory negligence where none exists.  When there is a liability dispute, you need an experienced car accident lawyer who has a thorough grasp of the details of Nebraska Car Injury Law.  Your auto injury attorney needs to be someone tough who will not let you be pushed into taking less money than you deserve.

Disputing injuries

Another way that insurance companies try to avoid liability for causing injuries is to say that you were not injured in the accident.  They like to say that an accident was too minor to cause an injury.  Although the severity of the impact affects the severity of the injuries, vehicle damage and injury severity are not exactly the same thing.  Many factors including the direction of the impact and your posture at the time of the accident can affect your injuries.  Also, no two people are exactly alike.  Your age and health at the time of the car accident can affect how susceptible you are to being injured.  Another thing that often happens is that the insurance company will say that the auto injury either predated the accident or that you were injured later.  Even if you were not in perfect health before the accident the at-fault driver should be held responsible for your change of condition.  Often the doctor who is best able to comment on
your health before and after an accident is a family doctor who treated you before and after the accident.  Prompt medical treatment and identification of accident-related injuries help defeat claims that something else caused the injury later.

Disputes about the reasonableness of your treatment or the amount of your doctors’ bills  

It is always important to get an appropriate amount of beneficial treatment and to be aware of excessive billing.  As an injury attorney who has practiced in Lincoln Nebraska for over 25 years, I am aware of many of the problem doctors who often engage in excessive treatment or billing and who should be avoided.  However, when an insurance company complains about excessive medical bills, it is more likely to be the result of a disingenuous attempt to be stingy and undervalue the claim rather than a real problem with the amount of treatment or billing.

Statements about the car accident are a normal part of investigating liability.  It is a mistake to forget who you are dealing with.  You do not want to let down your guard with a friendly-sounding insurance adjuster.  Their statements are usually designed to bring out information that could be used against you.  It is important to have an experienced auto injury attorney involved whenever making a statement, especially if the statement is being given to another driver’s insurance company.

Delaying tactics are to be expected.  Whether you are trying to be paid for your car or attempting to settle an injury claim insurance companies like to drag their feet. One reason for the delay is to get past the applicable statute of limitations.  Many negligence claims must be completed or filed in court within for years.  Other claims involving defendants who are government entities may have shorter time limits.  It is best to have an experienced Nebraska Auto Injury Attorney to correctly keep track of the time requirements for your injury claim.

Independent insurance adjusters are generally difficult to deal with.  They are often used by small out-of-state insurance companies to evaluate property damage.  These adjusters tend to seriously undervalue claims, and they can be very difficult to negotiate with on your own.

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While this website provides general information, it does not constitute legal advice. The best way to get guidance on your specific legal issues is to contact a lawyer. To schedule a free consultation with an attorney, please call our firm or complete the intake form using the link below: