If you have been involved in an automobile accident in Hawaii, you must have an attorney to protect your rights. At the Law Offices of David W. Barlow, we have experienced auto accident attorneys who will ensure you are fairly compensated for your injuries due to a car accident in Hawaii.

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We will fight to obtain the compensation you deserve for your pain and suffering, wage loss, medical bills, and any other loss you’ve suffered due to your injuries.

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You have legal rights if you have been injured in a car accident in Hawaii. First, we will ensure you get the “No-Fault” medical insurance coverage you may be entitled to. Hawaii’s No-Fault Insurance laws generally provide that the first $10,000 in medical bills must be paid by your insurance company. These medical payments are essential to help you get the medical treatment you need.  This medical coverage pays for emergency care, doctor exams, chiropractor treatment, massage therapy, physical therapy, and other types of medical treatment.

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From day one, we will begin to build your case so that we can prove that the other driver was liable for the car accident. We will also fight to ensure that the other driver’s insurance company compensates you for all of the damages you have suffered due to the accident.

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We’ll contact the insurance companies on your behalf and provide them with the information and documentation they need to process your claim as quickly as possible.  They may want to take a recorded statement.  If so, we’ll arrange the time for the statement.  Just as the insurance adjustors have taken hundreds of recorded statements, we’ve also helped hundreds of people with these statements, so we’ll know how to best coach you through a successfully recorded statement.

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Once you hire us, you won’t have to worry about insurance adjusters calling and trying to take advantage of you.  The adjustors know better than to try any funny business with us around.  They’ve been dealing with us for many years, so they know we don’t put up with anything but complete compensation for our client's injuries.

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With us on your side, you can focus all your time and energy on healing from your injuries. You’ll have peace of mind knowing that we’re hard at work, ensuring you receive the maximum settlement possible for your injuries. Our many years of experience and hard work result in settlements that our clients deserve.

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When you have been in an accident, you may be confused about whether you should hire an injury lawyer.  The car insurance adjustors will be calling and trying to take your statement.  The medical providers will be sending bills.  When you have been injured in an accident, it can be overwhelming.  However, one call to our office can resolve your questions and concerns.  This is what we do.  Our whole practice is focused on auto accident injuries.  We have many years of experience.  Therefore, with experience and knowledge of what to do in Hawaii auto accident injury cases, we are ready to help you during this challenging time.

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The best part is that we do not charge you any fees until we get you compensation for your injuries.  This is known as a “contingency-based fee.”   Our fees are “contingent” on getting you compensation for your auto accident injuries.  This way, you have the assurance that we will do our very best to bring you the money you deserve for your auto wreck injuries.  Because we will get a percentage of the injury settlement, you will have the assurance that we will get you the maximum compensation possible for your Honolulu, Hawaii, car accident injuries.  Call today for a free consultation.  Don’t worry; there will be no pressure, and we will patiently answer any questions you may have about your auto wreck injury case.

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Call the Law Offices of David W. Barlow today for a free consultation, and we will not delay getting you the maximum compensation you deserve for your injuries.

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Although we only handle car accidents and slip-and-fall cases, there are many community resources where you can get help with other legal issues. We highly recommend contacting The Legal Aid Society of Hawaii if you need assistance with an area of law we don’t practice.

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Four Ways To Maximize Your Hawaii Auto Accident Settlement

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First, we’ll mention that there are a few things that you can’t control when it comes to maximizing the settlement you obtain for your injuries. Next, we’ll discuss what you can do to obtain the maximum settlement possible for your Hawaii auto accident injuries.

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One of the major factors that affects how much you’ll receive for your injuries is which insurance company is involved.  After helping people who have been injured in accidents for many years, we are still surprised by the wide range of settlement offers made by the various insurance companies in Hawaii.

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Some companies offer quite low settlements.  The companies known for being quite stingy are Geico, State Farm, and Farmers.  Other companies tend to be much more reasonable.  These companies are USAA, Dtric, First Insurance, and Island Insurance.

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Another factor that you can’t control when it comes to the settlement amount is the adjustor.  Even within the same insurance companies, there are reasonable adjustors and unreasonable adjustors.

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Now for the factors that you can control.  The first thing you can control is what you do within the first couple of days after the accident.

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Hire A Lawyer As Soon As Possible.

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If you hire a lawyer right away, you will get a better settlement offer. Waiting for a few days or even a few weeks to get a lawyer will reduce your chances of getting a good settlement offer.

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You will likely have already recorded statements with your medical adjuster and the adjuster for the other driver’s insurance.  In which case, because you didn’t have a lawyer giving you advice, you likely said some things in the statement that hurt your case.

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Obtain As Much Medical Treatment As Possible.

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One of the biggest factors affecting how much of a settlement you receive is your medical treatment.  This is something that is completely within your control.  No-Fault Insurance covers doctor exams, physical therapy, massage therapy, chiropractor treatments, etc.

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If you get much treatment, this will usually result in a better settlement.  If you don’t receive very much follow-up treatment and there are large gaps of time between your treatments, then that will hurt your settlement.

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Receive Treatment From Medical Providers Who Specialize In Auto Accident Injuries.

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You should remember that your medical records are the evidence in an injury case. If you go to a clinic specializing in auto accident injuries, such as Portner Orthopedic or Workstar Injury Recovery Center, the medical records will be very well done and will be very useful in helping you get a good settlement.

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If you go to a doctor who doesn’t keep good records, this will hurt your case. Portner Orthopedic and Workstar accept no-fault insurance, and they do a great job treating our clients for car accident injuries, so we highly recommend that our clients go there for their treatment.

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Keep Good Records.

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Another great way to help maximize your insurance settlement is to keep good records.  First of all, you should take good pictures of your injuries.  You must take photos throughout the healing process, especially with new injuries.  You should take a lot of good, clear pictures.  Then you should email them to your lawyer right away.

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We often have clients who either forgot to take pictures or forgot to email them to us before the pictures were lost.  You should also take good photos of the vehicle damage and send them to your lawyer.

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It’s also important to keep track of any documents you receive in the mail, including medical bills. If you have wage loss due to your injuries, your lawyer will need a couple of months of pay stubs before the accident, during your recovery, and after you return to work full-time.

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You should scan and email these to your lawyer as soon as possible.  We have many clients who want to claim wage loss but cannot find their pay stubs.  Do yourself a favor and send them to your lawyer as soon as possible so he can put them in your case file and have them ready when it’s time to make your wage loss claim.

​

One major factor affecting how much you’ll receive for your injuries is which insurance company is involved.  After helping people injured in accidents for many years, we are still surprised by the wide range of settlement offers made by the various insurance companies in Hawaii.

​

Some companies offer quite low settlements. Geico, State Farm, and Farmers are known for being quite stingy. Other companies tend to be much more reasonable. These companies are USAA, Dtric, First Insurance, and Island Insurance.

​

Another factor that you can’t control when it comes to the settlement amount is the adjuster.  Even within the same insurance companies, there are reasonable and unreasonable adjusters.

​

Now for the factors that you can control.  The first thing you can control is what you do within the first couple of days after the accident.

​

Hire A Lawyer As Soon As Possible.

​

If you hire a lawyer right away, you will get a better settlement offer. Waiting for a few days or even a few weeks to get a lawyer will reduce your chances of getting a good settlement offer.

​

You will likely have already recorded statements with your medical adjuster and the adjuster for the other driver’s insurance.  In which case, because you didn’t have a lawyer giving you advice, you likely said some things in the statement that hurt your case.

​

Obtain As Much Medical Treatment As Possible.

​

One of the biggest factors affecting how much of a settlement you receive is your medical treatment. This is completely within your control. No-fault insurance covers doctor exams, physical therapy, massage therapy, chiropractor treatments, etc.

​

If you receive a lot of treatment, this will usually result in a better settlement. However, if you don’t receive much follow-up treatment and there are large gaps of time between your treatments, that will harm your settlement.

​

Receive Treatment From Medical Providers Who Specialize In Auto Accident Injuries.

​

Remember that your medical records are the evidence in an injury case. Go to a clinic specializing in auto accident injuries, such as Portner Orthopedic or Workstar Injury Recovery Center. The medical records will be very well done and helpful in helping you get a reasonable settlement.

​

If you go to a doctor who doesn’t keep good records, this will hurt your case. Portner Orthopedic and Workstar accept no-fault insurance, and they do a great job treating our clients for car accident injuries, so we highly recommend that our clients go there for their treatment.

​

Keep Good Records.

​

Keeping good records is another excellent way to help maximize your insurance settlement.  First of all, you should take good pictures of your injuries.  You must take photographs throughout the healing process, especially with new injuries.  You should take a lot of good, clear images.  Then you should email them to your lawyer right away.

​

We often have clients who either forgot to take pictures or forgot to email them to us before the pictures were lost.  You should also take good photos of the vehicle damage and send them to your lawyer.

​

It’s also important to keep track of any documents you receive in the mail, including medical bills.

​

 If you have wage loss due to your injuries, your lawyer will need a couple of months of pay stubs before the accident, during your recovery, and after you return to work full-time.

​

You should scan and email these to your lawyer as soon as possible.  Many clients want to claim wage loss but cannot find their pay stubs.  Do yourself a favor and send them to your lawyer as soon as possible so he can put them in your case file and have them ready when it’s time to make your wage loss claim.​

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