Working with Ringstad Law Office, P.C.
Not every law firm works the same way. It’s true. You may be thinking to yourself, “How different can they really be from one another?” It is the law, after all. Every lawyer has to follow the same protocols, right?
Wrong.
While we are all governed by the same foundation—a universal code that guides what we do—the application of this foundation varies. As the founding attorney of Ringstad Law Office, P.C., we decided to address these differences upfront. It is important that you know what to expect when you retain an attorney for your legal matter. It is important that you know what you will get and what you won’t get—and this will differ from the attorney down the street.
So what can you expect when you work with us? We’ll tell you.
It will not be a short process.
Each personal injury case takes time. If you have been injured in an accident, no matter what kind of accident, you need time to recover, time to heal. This time varies from person to person, from case to case. Depending on the severity of your injuries and your ability to bounce back, it could take months or it could take years. Sometimes it can take months before the true magnitude of your injuries can be discovered.
Most personal injury attorneys will tell you this, but they will still try to rush you through the process nevertheless. Why? They know this is what you want. You don’t want to drag this thing on any longer than you have to. You have been wronged, you need money to help pay for the damages, and you want to get back to normal—if normal is even possible.
But there is one huge part that is missing from this equation: your future well-being.
Sometimes, what you think is best for you now may not actually be best for you down the road. As experienced lawyers who have recovered millions of dollars for Alaskan families, we have seen too many people make this mistake. Too many people short-change themselves. They settle for an amount quicker than they should just so they can get it over with, only to realize that it wasn’t enough, in the long run, to cover all of their damages.
You should wait to settle.
The only way you can know the extent of your damages is to wait. For most accident victims, there are latent injuries that can manifest over time, but if you settle too early, you will not receive any compensation for these injuries. You can’t fix what you don’t know is there.
Let’s say, for instance, that you were rear-ended nine months ago. Aside from the typical whiplash, you seem to have escaped relatively unscathed. You will have to have some physical therapy, but you foresee that being the extent of your medical treatment. You decide to settle now for $5,000 and be done with it. Over time, however, you realize that your injuries go much deeper than you had initially thought. You are still having to see a therapist every two weeks, and now it looks like you will have to have surgery. When it’s all said and done, you wind up spending $150,000 on medical treatment for injuries stemming from your seemingly minor accident. At the same time, you have had to miss time from work and take a cut in your income. You will never be able to recover any more money to compensate you for your medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and emotional distress.
At the time, you thought that a quick settlement was the best thing for you. Now, you realize otherwise. Had you waited to settle and given the full extent of your injuries time to manifest, you could have recovered much more in compensation. This, in a nutshell, is why you should wait to settle.
Our first priority is to get you to maximum medical improvement (MMI).
Insurance companies will most likely try to get you to settle as quickly as possible. Don’t succumb to this pressure. Our first priority is to help you to recover, and this should be your first priority as well. By monitoring your care by medical professionals, your entire recovery process will be documented. This record will officially tie your injuries back to the accident and is critical evidence for your case.
Once your physicians declare that you have reached maximum medical improvement, or MMI, we will move forward by sending a demand package to the insurance company, outlining the extent of your damages. If a settlement cannot be reached, we will be ready to take your case to trial to get you the compensation you deserve. You can receive compensation for past and future medical expenses, lost wages, loss of earning capacity, mileage reimbursements for travel to and from doctor appointments, pain and suffering, and more.
While you are getting treatment and focusing on getting better, we are building your case by gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, and obtaining the necessary documents and all medical records. We will utilize this time to ensure that your case is complete, without any holes. By taking the time in the beginning, we will be better prepared in the end.
It will take time but it is worth the wait.
If you retain the Fairbanks, Alaska, personal injury attorneys at Ringstad Law Office, P.C., you will not regret it. It will take time—more time than the attorney down the street—but the benefits will be well worth your time. We would rather wait and prolong the process so that you can get all the money you deserve. If you end up having to have a surgery or another costly procedure way down the road, we want you to be able to be compensated for the expense.
If this is not what you want—if you want a quick settlement—we are not the firm for you. At Ringstad Law Office, P.C., we prioritize our clients and their families. We devote ourselves fully to them. This is what you can expect if you work with us. We will look after you and your future, because we know what is best for you. And we will do everything we can to fight for it. Call us for a free case evaluation.
