Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why should I hire an attorney?
Insurance companies have billions of dollars, huge legal departments, teams of claims adjusters and countless investigators working on their side. They will do everything in their power to harm your case and pay you as little money as possible. They unfairly delay and deny legitimate claims and take advantage of non-lawyers because non-lawyers do not know how to protect their legal rights. An experienced personal injury attorney like Tommy M. Troncoso will aggressively protect your rights and your case and make sure that the insurance companies pay you fair compensation and do not take advantage of you and
Q: Can I handle my case myself without an attorney?
Some people perform internet research or read a book on how to represent themselves in a legal claim and think that they can fight the insurance companies on their own without the help of an attorney. The insurance companies love this because they know that non-lawyers cannot protect their rights as well as an attorney can, and insurance companies know that they will always beat a non-lawyer.
The truth is, insurance companies will not pay fair compensation unless they feel threatened. The only proven way to make an insurance company feel threatened is the risk of a large trial verdict. Only an experienced attorney like Tommy M. Troncoso will make the insurance company feel that threat and force them to pay fair compensation.
When people represent themselves, there usually comes a point in the claim when they realize that they cannot handle it on their own and require the help of an attorney. Unfortunately, by that point, they have often done so much damage to the case that an attorney cannot save it. I have seen it many times when people destroy a strong case by attempting to handle it without an attorney.
In addition, it is very expensive to prosecute an injury case. Even a small case can cost tens of thousands of dollars. In larger cases, the costs can easily exceed a hundred thousand dollars. Most people do not have the money necessary to properly prosecute a case, and the insurance companies know that. However, an experienced personal injury attorney will advance the costs in your case.
For these reasons, many insurance companies try to convince an inquired person not to hire an attorney.
Q: Do I have to pay you any money up front?
No. If The Law Offices of Tommy M. Troncoso agrees to represent you, it means that we believe in you and your case and we want to help you. We work on a contingency basis. This means that you do not pay us a penny up front and you only pay us if your case recovers money. If your case does not recover any money, you do not owe us a penny.
Q: When should I hire an attorney?
You should hire an attorney as soon as possible after your injury. The insurance companies will start investigating and building their case against you almost immediately after the incident. Everything you say to the insurance company will be used against you to weaken and damage your case. It is important that you hire an experienced personal injury attorney like Tommy M. Troncoso as soon as possible to protect your legal rights.
Q: When should I see a doctor?
If you are injured or experiencing pain you should see a doctor as soon as possible after the incident. The most important thing is that you receive proper medical care to help you recover from your injuries. Some doctors do not get involved in insurance claims or litigation and will not see a patient who is making a personal injury claim. If you need help finding a doctor, an experienced personal injury attorney can help you find one who has a good reputation, experience treating the types of injuries you suffered and who will cooperate with your personal injury case by testifying in court if necessary.
Q: How much is my case worth?
No attorney can accurately tell you how much your case is worth in the beginning of your case because a case's depends on many factors that are often not known in the beginning of a case, such as: the extent, severity and type injuries you suffered; how well you recover from the injuries and your future medical prognosis; how quickly you recovered from the injuries; whether you will have any permanent damage, impairment or disfigurement; whether you missed work and lost income; whether you will be able to work again in the future; and the amount of insurance coverage available in the case.
Any attorney who tells you that you have a "million dollar case" in the beginning of the case is just telling you what he thinks you want to hear so that you sign up with his law firm. You will be much better off with an attorney who is honest with you rather than an attorney who is just telling you want you want to hear so that you sign up with his law firm.
Q: How long will my case take?
Some attorneys promise a quick settlement. Unfortunately, attorneys who promise quick settlements often take whatever the insurance company will pay early in the case without a fight, regardless of whether it is a fair settlement. So you should avoid an attorney who promises a quick settlement.
The truth is that insurance companies often do not make fair settlement offers unless the attorney litigates the case in court and demonstrates a willingness and ability to try the case if necessary. And sometimes the insurance company never makes a fair settlement offer and the case must be tried and we must ask the jury to award fair compensation. Unfortunately, courts move slowly and it can take years for a case to get to trial. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a terrible impact on our court system and there is now a tremendous backlog of cases in our courts. This has caused a significant delay in getting cases to trial.
Q: Is an undocumented Immigrant allowed to make an injury claim and use the California court system?
Yes! Undocumented immigrants are allowed to make injury claims in California and use California courts to prosecute their cases. In California, undocumented immigrants are entitled to recover the same damages in personal injury cases as a United States citizen. For this reason, a person's immigration status is not relevant for any purpose in a California personal injury case. I have represented many undocumented immigrants and recovered a substantial amount of money for them.
Q: I want you to represent me but I am not able to travel to your office. What should I do?
If you cannot travel to our office, we can usually travel to you. If that is not possible, we can also arrange a phone or Zoom video chat consultation and we can email you the necessary documents to sign. Please contact us by phone (818) 988-7300 or email Tommy@Troncoso-Law.com to set up an appointment.
Q: Do you handle cases outside of Los Angeles?
Yes. The Law Offices of Tommy M. Troncoso can handle cases anywhere in the state of California.
Insurance companies have billions of dollars, huge legal departments, teams of claims adjusters and countless investigators working on their side. They will do everything in their power to harm your case and pay you as little money as possible. They unfairly delay and deny legitimate claims and take advantage of non-lawyers because non-lawyers do not know how to protect their legal rights. An experienced personal injury attorney like Tommy M. Troncoso will aggressively protect your rights and your case and make sure that the insurance companies pay you fair compensation and do not take advantage of you and
Q: Can I handle my case myself without an attorney?
Some people perform internet research or read a book on how to represent themselves in a legal claim and think that they can fight the insurance companies on their own without the help of an attorney. The insurance companies love this because they know that non-lawyers cannot protect their rights as well as an attorney can, and insurance companies know that they will always beat a non-lawyer.
The truth is, insurance companies will not pay fair compensation unless they feel threatened. The only proven way to make an insurance company feel threatened is the risk of a large trial verdict. Only an experienced attorney like Tommy M. Troncoso will make the insurance company feel that threat and force them to pay fair compensation.
When people represent themselves, there usually comes a point in the claim when they realize that they cannot handle it on their own and require the help of an attorney. Unfortunately, by that point, they have often done so much damage to the case that an attorney cannot save it. I have seen it many times when people destroy a strong case by attempting to handle it without an attorney.
In addition, it is very expensive to prosecute an injury case. Even a small case can cost tens of thousands of dollars. In larger cases, the costs can easily exceed a hundred thousand dollars. Most people do not have the money necessary to properly prosecute a case, and the insurance companies know that. However, an experienced personal injury attorney will advance the costs in your case.
For these reasons, many insurance companies try to convince an inquired person not to hire an attorney.
Q: Do I have to pay you any money up front?
No. If The Law Offices of Tommy M. Troncoso agrees to represent you, it means that we believe in you and your case and we want to help you. We work on a contingency basis. This means that you do not pay us a penny up front and you only pay us if your case recovers money. If your case does not recover any money, you do not owe us a penny.
Q: When should I hire an attorney?
You should hire an attorney as soon as possible after your injury. The insurance companies will start investigating and building their case against you almost immediately after the incident. Everything you say to the insurance company will be used against you to weaken and damage your case. It is important that you hire an experienced personal injury attorney like Tommy M. Troncoso as soon as possible to protect your legal rights.
Q: When should I see a doctor?
If you are injured or experiencing pain you should see a doctor as soon as possible after the incident. The most important thing is that you receive proper medical care to help you recover from your injuries. Some doctors do not get involved in insurance claims or litigation and will not see a patient who is making a personal injury claim. If you need help finding a doctor, an experienced personal injury attorney can help you find one who has a good reputation, experience treating the types of injuries you suffered and who will cooperate with your personal injury case by testifying in court if necessary.
Q: How much is my case worth?
No attorney can accurately tell you how much your case is worth in the beginning of your case because a case's depends on many factors that are often not known in the beginning of a case, such as: the extent, severity and type injuries you suffered; how well you recover from the injuries and your future medical prognosis; how quickly you recovered from the injuries; whether you will have any permanent damage, impairment or disfigurement; whether you missed work and lost income; whether you will be able to work again in the future; and the amount of insurance coverage available in the case.
Any attorney who tells you that you have a "million dollar case" in the beginning of the case is just telling you what he thinks you want to hear so that you sign up with his law firm. You will be much better off with an attorney who is honest with you rather than an attorney who is just telling you want you want to hear so that you sign up with his law firm.
Q: How long will my case take?
Some attorneys promise a quick settlement. Unfortunately, attorneys who promise quick settlements often take whatever the insurance company will pay early in the case without a fight, regardless of whether it is a fair settlement. So you should avoid an attorney who promises a quick settlement.
The truth is that insurance companies often do not make fair settlement offers unless the attorney litigates the case in court and demonstrates a willingness and ability to try the case if necessary. And sometimes the insurance company never makes a fair settlement offer and the case must be tried and we must ask the jury to award fair compensation. Unfortunately, courts move slowly and it can take years for a case to get to trial. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a terrible impact on our court system and there is now a tremendous backlog of cases in our courts. This has caused a significant delay in getting cases to trial.
Q: Is an undocumented Immigrant allowed to make an injury claim and use the California court system?
Yes! Undocumented immigrants are allowed to make injury claims in California and use California courts to prosecute their cases. In California, undocumented immigrants are entitled to recover the same damages in personal injury cases as a United States citizen. For this reason, a person's immigration status is not relevant for any purpose in a California personal injury case. I have represented many undocumented immigrants and recovered a substantial amount of money for them.
Q: I want you to represent me but I am not able to travel to your office. What should I do?
If you cannot travel to our office, we can usually travel to you. If that is not possible, we can also arrange a phone or Zoom video chat consultation and we can email you the necessary documents to sign. Please contact us by phone (818) 988-7300 or email Tommy@Troncoso-Law.com to set up an appointment.
Q: Do you handle cases outside of Los Angeles?
Yes. The Law Offices of Tommy M. Troncoso can handle cases anywhere in the state of California.
