Trucking Cases

  1. Intake
  2. TBI clinic
  3. wage loss


Commercial Team Overview

Responsibilities are similar to a case manager with a few differences.

There are a few different ways to determine if a case is commercial:

  • The police report. If the at fault unit lists a company such as FedEx, King County Transit, DART Transit, Amazon, Fire Departments.
  • The insurance company listed in the information will be different than the usual ones we’re used to seeing (progressive, Geico, State Farm, Farmers etc.)
  • The insurance company can be Alaska National, Gallagher Bassett, Chubb, National Indemnity, Mahave etc.
  • Uber or Lyft: if there’s no third party insurance (hit & run or no coverage at all) and our clients tell us they were working at the time of the accident. Uber is considered a commercial policy and is usually through Liberty Mutual or Progressive commercial claims. The other one is Lyft which is usually through Mobilitas. Policies for either of these can go between $100k – 1 million with some higher.
  • Images our clients send us: If the images from the at fault driver happen to list a company name on them then it will most likely be a commercial case.
  • Semi – truck accidents: If our clients disclose that a semi-truck hit them then it will be considered a commercial case as well. Depending on the severity of the injuries our  client has suffered, we will request to download the black box immediately and try to reconstruct the accident.

The main difference between these cases and a regular accident is the policy limits are much higher than regular cases. The limits for these types of cases are usually in the millions. The bigger the company the bigger the limits tend to be. For example: FedEx or King County Metro.

These cases require much more care and attention than regular ones from the case manager. Good rapport buildup from the start is essential due to working with the client for the upcoming several months.  Another way to think of these cases is unlimited providers (healthcare) for our clients to see they can go to as many as they need to depending on the severity of the injuries suffered.

Initial steps:

  1. Introductory call: It’s always great to schedule them within the same week or within a few days of getting the case assigned. During this call it’s very important to assure our client several times that we are here for them during this sometimes life changing event that has happened to them. Explain to them the process and average length of the case from start to finish but assure them that Habtemariam Law be here to answer any of their questions every step of the way.
    1. Gather all facts regardless of how much information is on the intake. This way we can draft up a written statement (if needed) right after the call. This not only helps you see it and hear it from their perspective but also builds rapport.
    1. Remind our clients that communication is key and that it’s very important for them and Habtemariam Law to be on the same page throughout. This means if there’s an address change, phone number change, they miss appointments, they feel like their current provider isn’t helping and they need to switch then they must keep us informed. Vice versa with us, any updates that happen in their case it’s important to let them know.
    1. Collect any missing items that were not gathered in initial call. This included, health insurance card images (front & back), after visit summary, client’s ID, images of the property damage, towing receipts, estimate images and any additional things relevant to the case.
    1. Throughout the case make sure to check in on clients consistently to confirm that they are going to their appointments.
    1. Call providers as well to let them know that if the clients need additional referrals then go ahead and refer them out and remind them that the policy limits aren’t an issue.
  2. Property Damage
    1. Similar to other cases we assist in getting the property damage taken care of.
    1. We assist in repairs, loss of use, diminished value and reimbursement for any other things such as cell phones and glasses.
  3. These cases the amount of treatment time isn’t really a concern because as mentioned, the policy limits are a lot higher. Even if clients go once or twice a month for several months that would be enough to build a solid case. The goal is to remind clients to go to their appointments as consistent as possible but not to stop going until the Dr.’s release them. Remind them that if the Dr.’s have made additional referrals to be sure to make it in at least for an evaluation. Many clients will say there’s no need or that they might not want to go but even if it’s for an evaluation that will be great for the case and for them to confirm all is well with their health.
  4. For the more severe cases: Neguse Woldai & Amanuel Gebretekle for example
    1. We want to make sure they see all the necessary providers and towards the end of the case or somewhere in between hire a life care plan expert to write us a report.
    1. Some of our clients will be unable to work for quite some time if not the rest of their lives depending on the extent of the injuries.
    1. We want to be able to show the opposing counsel and the judges how severe the accident was and how our clients lives will be impacted going forward.