Should I hire my own attorney or rely on the insurance co's?

Show all answers

Post your answer

2008-09-30 16:26:28 +0000	The attorneys that an insurance company provides will always be better then one that you can provide. Reason being is they know the insurance field inside and out. They can argue the case better then an attorney that you find in the yellowpages. Also, they're not just representing you, they are representing your insurance company. They are going to do all they can to avoid high settlements. Just stick with the lawyer that is provided to you via insurance. It'll work out better in the end Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

2008-09-30 18:58:32 +0000	Where you live makes no difference. If he is suing you in Civil court, let the insurance company handle it. Their attorneys represent you at no cost to you. If he is suing you in Small Claims court neither party can have an attorney present at the trial. If that is the case, you will need to get all the information you can get from the insurance company for your use in preparing your case. You might also ask to Speak to one of their attorneys for consultation as to how to proceed. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

2008-09-30 16:58:21 +0000	Here is another twist to the other advice of using the insurance company's attorney. That attorney represents the ins. co., not your personal interest. If you do not win, the insurance company will pay to the limits of their liability, not a penny more. You are liable for the difference. You do not mention being rich/poor/average, but most people can't afford to incur any of the additional cost. This is where your own attorney protects you. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

2008-09-30 16:34:33 +0000	Also the Insurance companies do not want to payout remember they are the ones who will be paying up to the policy limits on the lawsuit filed. So there lawyers wil be aggressive in trying to reduce settlement. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

2008-09-30 16:26:16 +0000	Let their attorneys represent you. They charge by the hour, and it saves you having to come up with a bunch of money to protect your interests. That's why you have insurance in the first place, so there's no need to hire your own when you are the defendant. The defense attorneys are reputable attorneys, generally in the same town, who you may actually be familiar with already. This is not always the case, but we found ourselves dealing with the same attorneys when State Farm was the insurance company, when it was American Family, and so on. They've done this a lot, and they're good at it. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

2008-09-30 16:29:28 +0000	Your insurance company will assign their defense counsel to represent you in the lawsuit. Why would you want to pay out of pocket for an attorney when one is being provided for you. That is what you pay the insurance for. More than likely their attorneys will settle the claim w/ the other parties attorney prior to anyone even seeing a judge. PA has a 2 year statute of limitations. It appears that the suit was filed to extend the statute (time in which the other person has to make/collect on a claim) Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No