The Corona Virus has impacted every industry to a certain degree, including the legal field and Personal Injury claimants are no exception. Here are the top 3 ways the Corona Virus has impacted some of our clients’ cases:

1. “Gaps” in medical treatment. With (nearly) all non-emergency medical treatment put on hold, most Personal Injury claimants cannot get in to regular treatment with a physical therapist, chiropractor, orthopedist, or other medical professional. We typically refer to a pause in medical treatment as a “gap” or a “treatment gap.” Insurance companies typically point to an unexcused gap as a reason to minimize how much they pay for your claim. However, even insurance companies will have to admit that a gap due to the Corona Virus is excusable and warranted. To strengthen your claim as well as your physical recovery, we recommend you reach out to your treating doctors to find out if there are any home exercises that help to alleviate your symptoms. Many doctors are currently offering virtual appointments, we encourage you to reach if you need any help setting up an appointment.
2. Expedited negotiations. We’ve noticed some insurance companies have stopped dragging their feet when it comes to settlement negotiations. Many insurance representatives are being more transparent with how much money they have to work with. Communication between a Personal Injury lawyer and an insurance representative can often be contentious, with both sides advocating opposing positions. We have noticed a more cooperative tone in our recent conversations with insurance companies, which has helped resolve many of our cases more quickly.
3. Delays in litigation. All non-emergency hearings have been postponed due to the Corona Virus. Court deadlines often help to keep a case moving forward. A delay in these deadlines will likely translate into a delay in active litigation files. As a reminder, a case is in litigation when it is filed with the Court. All cases start out as “pre-litigation”, when the Personal Injury attorney is working directly with the insurance companies towards a settlement. Thankfully, many aspects of litigation cases are unaffected, such as depositions and written discovery (questions asked by one side to another).
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