What we are doing.
Our law firm has been closely monitoring the COVID-19 (coronavirus) developments around the country and updating our plans as the situation changes. Our number one focus is protecting the health and safety of our team, our clients, and the many businesses with whom we work.
Your attorneys are still working on your case.
In light of the mandatory Shelter-In-Place order issued by Governor Gavin Newsom that employees work from home until further notice, our employees will be working remotely. We have always made sure to stay at the forefront of technology and have the capabilities in place to enable our team to work from home with little interruption.
We will conduct meetings remotely or via telephone during this time.
During this time we will not be conducting in-person meetings with clients. Instead, we will conduct these meetings via telephone or Zoom videoconference. As always, email and text message are the quickest ways to communicate with us if you have a question or concern on your case. You can also call our main line (415-545-8608) to speak with us. Our staff is working and is available to you.
We anticipate some delays.
We will do everything in our power to ensure that the service we provide to you is not impacted during this time. However, some things are beyond our control. Courts in California have continued trials and some courts are closing temporarily. We have also started to see more depositions and mediations get canceled, as witnesses and attorneys are unable to travel. We anticipate there will be a delay moving cases through the court system, but we cannot say how much of a delay that will be. Rest assured that we will be ready to move as fast as possible to get cases to trial once the courts reopen.
Can I still get medical treatment for my PI case?
Medical providers are considered an essential business under the Governor’s Shelter-in-Place Order, and most remain open. However, many have closed or remained open but with telephone or online appointments only. We recommend that you follow the advice of your medical provider in making any decisions related to your treatment. If your provider is closed and will not respond to your calls or emails, please let us know so we can see if there is any way we can assist you.
What happens if I stop treating?
Before the coronavirus, our advice to clients was to listen to your doctor and if you're in pain to get treatment. Insurance companies love to point out gaps in treatment and make low offers based on gaps in treatment. At this point, however, we recommend that you follow the advice of your medical provider in making any decisions related to your treatment, including whether to come in in person, schedule a remote appointment over the phone or online, or wait until social distancing restrictions are lifted. The CDC recommends social distancing and our Governor is asking people to stay home for the wellbeing of our State. Please document all attempts you made at scheduling your appointments so we may have them for reference later.
Can my case still be settled?
We are still in communication with insurance companies and adjusters, though we are starting to see delays. While some insurance companies have shut down offices, many adjusters are able to work from home and many work from home already. We’re treating it as business as usual when communicating with insurance companies. We have also heard from other lawyers that insurance companies are starting to intentionally make lowball offers because they know many people are out of work or have hours reduced and need the money. As with every offer, we’ll pass it along to our clients and talk about options. We do not believe that settlements will stop happening but it may take some more negotiation to get a fair offer.
Updates will be coming.
We will continue to provide updates via email as things change. Our hearts are with you and our country during these unprecedented times and we ask that everyone please stay safe and follow the recommendations of the California Department of Public Health, the Center for Disease Control, and the guidelines implemented by Governor Gavin Newsom.
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