Thursday, January 17, 2013

Medical Expenses Paid by NM Auto Insurance Company After My Albuquerque Accident Claim



Mark J. Caruso, Personal Injury Attorney


     So often I am asked this question..."What medical expenses can I get from the insurance company now that we know the collision wasn't my fault?"  This is really an easy question to answer, because state law dictates what you are entitled to.  However, just because you might be claiming a medical expense doesn't mean that you automatically get the money for those medical expenses.  It is still up to you and your attorney to provide the insurance company with the facts and evidence to prove the damage.

     Under the law of the state of New Mexico and most other states, medical expenses must be reasonable, necessary and a direct result of the injuries sustained in the collision. 

     The medical expenses must be reasonable in price compared to charges made by othere health care providers in the same community.  This can be easily proven, and our firm has the annually published medical fees to help prove the reasonableness of the charges. 

    The medical expenses must be necessary and needed because of the injury from the collision. No one would expect the insurance company to pay for a medical expense that you really didn't need.  You are, however, required to mitigate your damage.  That means that you are allowed to have diagnostic tests and examinations to determine whether you have an injury.  If you have some pain that you didn't have before the collision, you are expected to take reasonable precaution to determine if you have an injury.  If you ultimately determine that you don't have any injury, the insurance company will still pay for the cost of the examination and diagnostic x-rays and other tests. 

     The medical expenses must be a direct result of the injuries sustained in the collision.  You can't ask the insurance company to pay for anything that their driver didn't cause.  However, they must also pay for the aggravation of a previous injury. As an example, let's say that your leg already had degenerative problems because of your age.  It really didn't cause you any problems before the accident, but the twisting of the leg in the accident required you to now have physical therapy and ultimately a surgery.  You aggravated the degenerative condition so now you must have the extra medical care.  This would be a valid claim against the insurance company.  The medical records provided by your doctor should clearly indicate that the medical care was needed as a result of the collision.  If it doesn't state this on the records, then you should contact your doctor or his/her staff immediately to determine what he/she believes was the cause of the injury in the first place. 

     Once you have finished all of your treatment, it is realitively easy to determine your total medical expenses.  You need to use the retail price of the medical expenses, not the amount paid by your health insurance or the amount you paid as a deductible or co-pay.  It is usually a simple addition of the charges.

     Sometimes doctors will state that you need to get extra money from the insurance company for future medical expenses.  An example would be a doctor stating that you need one physical therapy visit per month for a total of 12 more months.  You would need to calculate the cost of  each visit and multiply times the number of visits the doctor says that you need and you then have an additional number for future medical care.  Again, the same rules apply to future medical expenses that apply to the past medical expenses.  The future medical expenses must be reasonable, necessary and a direct result of the collision. 

   This discussion above is merely a synopsis of the law.  I would ask that you personally call me, Mark Caruso, for a free consultation at 505-883-5000 if you have any questions.  During this conversation will will discuss what happened in your accident, how you were injured and the medical care that you have received or will be receiving.  It costs you nothing to talk to me, and I would like to help you even if you chose not to have us represent you.

  If you mention this blog we will also give you a discount on your attorney fee.  Rather than pay a full 33 1/3% fee that most lawyer charge, we will reduce the fee to 29% if we can settle your claim without a lawsuit being filed.  This puts more money in your pocket.  I hope to hear from you. 

Best NM Lawyers--AVVO Lawyer Ratin "9.9 SUPERB" Rating

Attorney Mark Caruso receives high marks and ratings from clients and other attorneys in handling of Albuquerque, NM personal injury and wrongful death claims.

  
Albuquerque personal injury attorney Mark Caruso has just been ranked by a prestigious attorney and lawyer rating ranking service as a  "9.6  SUPERB"  on AVVO Lawyer Ratings.   Mark Caruso ranks extremely high in the areas of Experience, Industry Recognition and Professional Conduct.  Mark Caruso has received numerous attorney and lawyer peer endorsements as well as the highest client ratings for his handling of personal injury claims. His attorney and lawyer peers have ranked Mark Caruso is one of the highest rated personal injury attorneys in the State of New Mexico.


 

     This AVVO lawyer rating of "9.9  SUPERB" makes Mark Caruso and Caruso Law Offices one of the highest and best AVVO rated personal injury attorneys and law firms in New Mexico. A perfect score is a 10.
     Thank you to the many clients, attorneys and lawyers who helped Caruso get this "9.9  superb" rating. The AVVO lawyer rating cannot be bought with paid advertising, but is earned from experience, industry recognigion, lawyer and attorney peer reviews, client reviews and professional conduct. It is considered the most verifiable attorney and lawyer  rating service available today.
     Avvo Lawyer Rating is guided by two basic principles:

1. Provide an unmatched level of transparency. Many of the online resources available today only show information about the lawyer who pays the most to be there. Avvo plays no favorites. We provide an unparalleled level of transparency that shines the same light on all licensed lawyers, enabling people who may know very little about law to make smart, informed decisions.

2. Provide more information and better guidance. We believe that access to easy to understand information about lawyers, coupled with guidance on how to use that information, is the best way to help people choose the right licensed professional. Information is empowering: the more people learn about their lawyers, the more comfortable and confident they'll feel seeking help. This benefits clients and great lawyers.

     Caruso Law Offices only handles personal injury cases.  As a former insurance company attorney, Mark Caruso and his staff us their experience to get the most money possible for their clients.  Because Mark Caruso knows the ins-and-outs of the insurance claims business, the claims adjusters' dirty tricks don't work on him.  Most cases settle out of court without a lawsuit, and Caruso is a strong believer in pre-litigation mediation and settlement conferences to get his cleints the most money possible.  However, Caruso and his staff are committed to take all cases to arbitration or trial if the amount the insurance company offers is unfair.

    Mark Caruso offers a free initial consultation with an attorney (not just a paralegal, like most other attorneys) to discuss your case.  You can expect confidentiality, honesty and great nuggets of legal help and information from this free initial consultation.
     Caruso Law Offices is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico and has two offices to serve its clients. Telephone is 505-883-5000  website is www.carusolaw.com and email is mark@carusolaw.com






Friday, January 4, 2013

Best and Highest Rated NM Lawyers- Million Dollar Advocates Forum, The Top Trial Lawyers in America

Million Dollar Advocates Forum admits Albuquerque, NM personal injury and wrongful death lawyer Mark Caruso to prestigious group of lawyers who have settled many million dollar claims against insurance companies.


In December 2012 Albuquerque personal injury attorney Mark Caruso was recently named a life member to the "Million Dollar Advocates Forum, The Top Trial Lawyers in America".

Established in 1993, the Million Dollar Advocates Forum  is one of the most prestigious groups of trial lawyers in the United States.  Membership is limited to attorneys who have won million and multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements. There are over 4000 members throughout the country. Fewer than 1% of U.S. lawyers are members.


 
The quality of attorney membership in the Million Dollar Advocates Forum is very impressive and includes many of the top trial lawyers in the country. Many of our members, including Mark Caruso,  have achieved numerous million and multi-million dollar results (several members have won billion dollar cases). Their practice areas include most areas of litigation, including: major personal injury, products liability, malpractice, construction, environmental, employment, insurance and business litigation. The common fact is that each attorney has demonstrated, in an objective and tangible way, their ability to accomplish superior results in complex cases. Certification by the Million Dollar Advocates Forum provides recognition of such accomplishment and a national network of experienced colleagues for information exchange, assistance and professional referral.

Mark Caruso and Caruso Law Offices are located in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  The firm exclusively handles personal injury cases, and it offers two Albuquerque locations for its clients.  Telephone is 505-883-5000  website is www.carusolaw.com  and email is mark@carusolaw.com






Best and Highest Ranked NM Lawyers--prestigious 2013 Client Distinction Award from Martindale Hubbell

Attorney Mark Caruso awarded Client Distinction Award from Martindale Hubbell and Lawyers.com in representing clients with personal injury and wrongful death claims. 

Mark Caruso and Caruso Law Offices in Albuquerque, New Mexico have been awarded the prestigious 2012 Client Distinction Award from Martindale Hubbell, a non-biased and unpaid lawyer rating and referral service.  Mark Caruso was recognized by Martindale-Hubbell as an excellent personal injury attorney for his Quality of Service, Overall Value, Responsiveness and Communication Ability.  The award was a result of high client ratings and reporting to Martindale Hubbell and other forums.
 
 

Caruso Law Offices thanks its clients and fellow attorneys for their high ratings, and also thanks Martindale Hubbell for the recognition.

Caruso will continue to provide the highest quality service to its clients.

Caruso Law Offices has two offices in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and exclusively handles personal injury claims.  Telephone is 505-883-5000 and web site is www.carusolaw.com and email is mark@carusolaw.com