Should I Accept the Insurer’s First Settlement Offer?

 

Personal injury can be stressful and traumatic. In fact, it can turn your life upside down if the injuries are life-threatening or make you disabled. It could cost your life, and being the victim of an accident is high, and medical bills, lost wages, and vehicle repairs can all take a toll on your finances and family.

 If you have been in car accident, probably you would have filed a personal injury claim. Once you do that, you’ll be dealing with the insurance companies, and in many cases, insurers are quick to offer a settlement. Although it might be tempting to accept the offer without the legal assistance of a personal injury attorney in Belen, remember, you’re not receiving the amount that you truly deserve.

So, it’s not a good idea to accept your insurer’s first offer, because:-

It’s a Low Offer

If the claim is in your favor, the insurance adjuster will always try to pay out as little as possible. Not only this will devalue your personal injury claim, but the insurer will offer you less than what it is worth. The first offer is always low and requires negotiation. That’s why it’s a good idea to get the assistance of car accident lawyers in Belen as they know how to negotiate and claim that settlement you truly deserve.

The Insurer Doesn’t Care About You

You’re not in the best interests of insurance companies. They work for their company and try to save company’s fund, and don’t consider your priorities and sufferings. Always be mindful about what you say to the insurance adjuster and never accept the offer without speaking to a personal injury lawyer.

You’ll Get More

Based on the losses incurred by a car accident, you’ll probably get more. Insurance companies will negotiate and try to settle out rather than go through litigation. Hence, the insurer will try to provide a better offer during the negotiation.

The Offer Isn’t Worth Your Sufferings

The offer from the insurance company should be more than the cost of your medical bills, missed wages, property damage, and other expense. Even if you receive a fair settlement, remember, you’re entitled to compensation for the pain and sufferings you’ve gone through.

Hire an Experienced Legal Attorney to Handle Your Claim

If you sustained injuries in a car accident, you’d need the assistance of a lawyer. A lawyer knows and can provide tailored solutions to help you receive the compensation you truly deserve.

So, it’s not advisable to take the offer unless the amount quoted can cover your medical bills, vehicle repairs, loss of pay, and other losses incurred by a car accident.

For further queries or to set up a consultation, please call our personal injury law firm Belen nm. 

Medicinal Cannabis: Is It Legal in NSW?

 

In recent years, a growing set of studies have suggested that cannabis (colloquially marijuana) may have medicinal benefits. Research is ongoing and there is still much to learn about long-term side effects however, the Therapeutic Goods Association (TGA) have tentatively accepted medicinal cannabis in Australia. Here’s the important details to know around medicinal cannabis and its prescription, usage and legality within NSW.

What is medicinal cannabis?

Cannabis medicines are classified as any products used for therapeutic purposes which have been derived from the cannabis plant, or synthetically made substances with similar effects to the cannabis plant which are called cannabinoids.

Who can access medicinal cannabis?

Most cannabis medicines are not registered within Australia which means practitioners must apply for permission before being able to offer a prescription. They should also be considered a last resort in most cases and are only appropriate for use when all other clinical treatments have been exhausted.

Patients may only have legal access to medicinal cannabis with a prescription. This prescription allows themselves and/or their carers to administer these medicines. This prescription is only legal for use by the person named on the document.

What can medicinal cannabis treat?

Research into the effectiveness and potential benefits to medicinal cannabis is ongoing. As recent as last year, the NSW Government provided $9 million[1] in funding for clinical trials to further investigate the safety and effectiveness of these drugs. The limited evidence we have so far suggests it may assist with epilepsy in children and adults, multiple sclerosis (MS), chronic non-cancer pain, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in cancer and palliative care. There are side effects to medicinal cannabis such as tiredness, drowsiness, fever, dry mouth, diarrhoea and more.

Does this mean cannabis is legal now?

Legalising medicinal cannabis in certain circumstances does not change the laws for recreational use. It is still illegal in NSW to possess, supply, manufacture, traffic or cultivate cannabis.

It is also illegal to advertise the use of cannabis medicines to the public whether that is as sponsors, manufacturers, importers, pharmacists, health professionals or marketers.

Read our past blogs for more information on drug laws in NSW:

• Which Drugs Are Illegal in NSW?
• Drug Offences Under NSW Law
• Roadside Drug Testing: Your Rights & Responsibilities

Powerhouse Law’s experienced drug lawyers are here to protect your rights

With years of experience as qualified drug lawyers, the team at Powerhouse Law can assist you or someone you know with drug offences. Whether it’s a question of a legally prescribed drug or an illegal substance issue, we’re here for you with professional, compassionate legal advice. Call 1800 100 529 for 24/7 legal assistance or book a consultation online.

Strong Reasons to Hire a Personal Injury Attorney after a Car Accident

 

Do you or your loved one hurt in an accident caused by another's recklessness? You may be entitled to compensation through a Belen personal injury claim! For this, hiring a lawyer is the smart way. In fact, a lawyer can be a valuable asset during this stressful time. But, some people try to settle these claims on their own to avoid paying the lawyer and finally end up causing trouble. So, if you've been hurt or injured by another person, company, or driver, seek compensation for your medical bills and other related expenses. It is essential to hire a professional personal injury attorney in Belen. Here we have listed the strong reasons why you should hire an attorney after a car accident.

Reason 1: Personal Injury Attorneys Will have Enough Knowledge about Your case Claim.

The personal injury attorney will be updated with the law and claiming process. This will be helpful with claim money from the insurance companies. That makes the insurance companies more likely to reach a fair deal with you in a timely way.

Reason 2: They Will Prevent Errors

A skilled car accident lawyer in Belen has the ability to protect you from errors. This will help your case is not over before it has even begun. As you know, personal injury claims can be compromised by small mistakes, such as accidentally saying something that could be used against you, missing deadlines, and more. No matter how we check, it doesn't meet the level of a professional touch. So, hiring a professional and experienced lawyer here is a smart move.

Reason 3: The Personal Injury Attorney in Belen Can Level The Playing Field:

A skilled personal injury attorney knows all of the strategies of Insurance companies (To limit or deny the amount of compensation you may receive, insurance claims adjusters are trained in tactics) and can help ensure that you are not manipulated into getting less than what you deserve.

Reason 4: The Car Accident Lawyers in Belen Can Handle the Details

You can focus on healing by hiring one of the best car accident lawyers in Belen. The lawyer you hire will know what it takes to build a solid claim and can do all of the legwork, and they will do the needful from your side. Also, it will be hard for gathering the relevant information by yourself. Your lawyer will do it for you and gather strong evidence like eyewitness statements, photographs, accident reports, medical records, and more.

Conclusion

So, met with an accident? Looking for the best personal injury law firm Belen nm to hire an experience personal injury attorney? Look no further than The Lucero Law Office.

Why Should You Establish a Trust for Estate Planning? 4 Reasons

One of the most common questions that lawyers get asked is whether a trust is necessary or not. Just in case you didn't know, a living trust gives more control over your assets in the event of incapacitation or death. This means you will have more control or power over how your assets are distributed amongst children or your preferred beneficiaries. There are also other important reasons as to why creating a trust makes sense. Reputable estate planning lawyers in Perth list out the following benefits:

Avoid probate:

Probate is a court-led process, which is complex and time consuming. During the probate process, the court will be examining all the provisions and assets included in the will. There will also be a waiting period, during which the beneficiaries will have no access to any of the funds or properties in the estate. When you have a living trust, you can avoid probate. Your family members don't have to go through the hurdles of this process, thus letting them save their time and money.

Incapacitation:

Another benefit of having a trust is that it can be imposed when you are incapacitated. During such circumstances, a trustee will control your assets and manage them just the way you wanted. 

According to the estate planning lawyers in Perth, your trust should specify in detail how your assets must be taken care of when you are incapacitated, and what needs to be done after your death. However, this is not the same as a power of attorney. Married couples can also establish a trust in order to set aside assets for the surviving spouse.

Protect Your Assets:

Having a trust will secure your property from creditors or lawsuits. If a beneficiary of your assets has a lawsuit filed against them, your trust will help protect your assets and keep them inaccessible to creditors.

Flexibility to Manage Assets:

Having a trust lets you decide how your assets must be distributed under different circumstances. There are different types of trusts available for you to consider. The most common types include revocable and irrevocable living trusts. 

A revocable living trust, as the name suggests, is a trust that can be changed or revoked by the grantor any time they want. An irrevocable trust remains fixed. Another popular type of trust is the income-only living trust. Get in touch with the certified trust lawyers in Perth, in order to know how your assets must be managed. Simply put, having a trust gives you the flexibility to manage and distribute assets as per your requirements.

Save money and protect your property by establishing a trust for estate planning. To get useful guidance and assistance in this process, hire a good law firm of a recognised migration lawyer in Perth today.

Speed Camera Warning Signs – removed for safety or revenue raising?

 

Speeding in NSW is a prominent traffic charge that the NSW government is attempting to reduce on our roads. In late 2020, the government decided to remove the warning signs for mobile speed cameras and place hidden cameras, however by doing that, it has generated over 1500% more fines. That’s over $6,000,000 in March 2021 alone.

For low-range speeding offences, such as exceeding the speed limit by less than 10km/h, the figures show that over 70,000 fines were issues in the first three months in 2021 compared to 4184 fines in the first three months of 2020.

What are the penalties for speeding in NSW?

The NSW Road Rules 2014 govern the penalties for speeding, in particular rule 20. The penalty in most speeding ticket offences include fines and demerit points. Some examples of common speeding offences for class A motor vehicles (cars and motorcycles)  are detailed below:

Exceed speed 10 km/h and under (other than a learner or provisional licence)	$121	1
Exceed speed over 10 km/h (other than a learner or provisional licence)	$280	3
Exceed speed over 10 km/h (learner or provisional licence)	$280	4
Exceed speed over 20 km/h	$481	4
Exceed speed over 30 km/h	$920	5
Exceed speed over 45 km/h	$2,482	6

Can you Contest your speeding charge in court?

You can elect (choose) to take your speeding fine to court to have a Magistrate exercise leniency by dismissing the fine completely. That can happen even after you plead guilty. If you believe you are not guilty of the offence, you can also seek to have a hearing on the evidence and contest the fine. This is how you can take the fine to court:

1. Visit the Revenue NSW myPenalty page and complete the court election process.
2. A court attendance notice is then sent to you by post or email.
3. Once you have received the court attendance notice, you must attend court to have the mater decided.

Why elect to go to court:

> Explain your story to the Magistrate.
> Have the penalty notice completely dismissed.
> Stop the suspension of your driver’s licence.
> Avoid demerit points
> Reduce the amount of the fine.
> You did not commit the traffic offence.

Visit our traffic law page (click here) for read our latest blog (click here) for more information about going to court for a traffic fine.

You can also use our online service to contest (or appeal) the speeding fine and represent yourself in the best way to get leniency from a Magistrate.