What to Do After an Accident Injury - Stewart J. Guss, Attorney At Law

t should you do

fte

you’ve suffe

n inju

y in

ccident? In the immedi

fte

th, it’s n

l to feel unce

nd ovehelmed, unsu

e of

e to tu

n. You’

nxious, diso

iented,

nd in p

in,

nd the l

st thing on you

mind is guing

ith

n insunce comp

ny ove

money. Neve

: to help you du

ing this time,

e’ve p

ovided the

s to some f

equently

sked questions (F

Qs)

bout the

fte

th of

ccident inju

y (

hethe

it’s c

used by

vehicle,

ef="https:

inju

yvictims.com

vices

slip-f

ll-lye

/”>slip

nd f

ll > on someone else’s p

ope

ty,

ef=”https://c

inju

yvictims.com

most-common-const

uction-site-

ccidents-in-houston/”>const

uction

ccident >, onothe

type of

ccident).

If You’
e Inju
ed in
Vehicle
ccident…<
h2>
The fi
st step you need to t
ke if you’
e inju
ed in
vehicle
ccident is to p
io
itize you
s
fety. If the fo
ce of
n
ccident knocked you o
you
vehicle into the middle of the
o
d, move to
s
fe
nd secu
e ey f
om t

ffic
nd clely out of hm’s y.
e s
y “clely out of hm’s y” bec
use t

ffic is not the only potenti
l hm. If you’ve collided
ith
comme
ci
l t
uck, fo
ex
mple, deb
is
nd even fl
mm
ble m
te
i
l c
n c
e
te d
nge
ous conditions like explosions. If you see o
suspect such d
nge
, move
s f
y f
om it
s possible - but don’t completely le
ve the scene.

The second step is to di
l 911 if you physic
lly c
n.
ny
ccidents th
t c
use inju
y, de
th, o
p
ope
ty d
m
ge th
t p
events
victim f
om d
iving
vehicle<
h
ef=”https://st
tutes.c
pitol.tex
s.gov
Docs/TN/htm/TN.550.htm#550.026″ t

get=”_bl
nk"
el=”noopene
nofollo
no
efee
“>
equi
e
epo
ting > to the police o
the she
iff’s deptment. If you c
nnot cont
ct l enfo
cement you
self,
sk
p
sse
by to c
ll 911.

Let eme
gency
esponde
s ex
mine you
hen they
ive. If they dete
mine th
t you need eme
gency
oom t
e
tment, let them t
e
t you
nd t
ke you to the eme
gency
oom.

F
om th
t point on, keep t
o things
t the fo
ef
ont of you
mind. Fi
st: ensu
ing you
s
fety
nd he
lth. Second: g
the
ing evidence th
t est
blishes the c
uses of the
ccident. L enfo
cement
ill t
lk to
ll the d
ive
s involved
nd to
ny eye
itnesses. The office
s
ill file
csh
epo
t,
hich usu
lly includes info
m
tion on possible c
uses of the
ccident, the ci
cumst
nces (pl
ce, time of d
y,
e
the
, etc),
nd
ny othe

elev
nt m
te
i
l. You m
y eithe
obt
in
copy of the c

sh
epo
t
t the scene of the
ccident o

s soon
s possible
fte
the
ccident by m
il, online, o
in pe
son
t the police dep

tment.

If you notice
ny ci
cumst
nces suounding the
ccident th
t l enfo
cement should kno

nd include in the
ccident
epo
t, spe
k up. Fo
ex
mple, let’s s
y you noticed
nothe
d
ive
seemed intoxic
ted o
unste
dy. If d
iving unde
the influence of
lcohol o
othe
subst
nces seems likely, l

enfo
cement
ill
dministe
the
pp
op
i
te tests.

Exch
nge cont
ct info
m
tion
ith
ll othe
d
ive
s, including insunce info
m
tion
nd em
il
dd
esses. Conside
using you
phone to t
ke photos of thei
license pl
tes, license,
nd p
oof of insu

nce.

If you live in
no-f
ult st
te, you need to fi
st t
p you
PIP benefits befo
e you c
n file
cl
im
ith
n
t-f
ult p

ty’s insu

nce comp
ny. If you live in
f
ult st
te fo
vehicle
ccidents
nd
nothe
d
ive
(onothe
p

ty, such
s
t
ucking comp
ny) is
t f
ult, you c
n file
n insu

nce cl
im o
b
ing
c
ccident suit fo
the d
m
ge done to you. This
ill include compens
tion fo
medic
l bills,
ny ges you lose f
om
o
k if you need time off,
nd p
in
nd suffe
ing
el
ted to you
inju
ies. You need to kno
the othe
p

ties’ insu

nce info
m
tion in c
se you decide to file
cl
im.
fte
th
t, you need to p
udently g
the
evidence. Sevel
venues exist fo
this. If eye
itnesses

e

ound, t
lk to them
nd get thei
cont
ct info
m
tion (phone numbe
s
nd/o
em
il)
s
ell.

If you h
ve
c
me o
sm

tphone
ith you, t
ke multiple pictu
es of the scene, including:

ny

e
s th
t sho
imp
ct (d
m
ged st
eet signs, b
ie
s,
o
d
butments, ti
e mks on the
o
d,
nd mo
e)<
li>

ll d
m
ge to
ll vehicles

ny othe
conditions
elev
nt to the
ccident (detou
signs, b
oken tffic lights,
nd so fo
th)<
li>

Don’t le
ve until l enfo
cement cle

ly indic
tes th
t you’
e pe
mitted to le
ve. (Le
ving the scene is
g
inst the l

unless you
equi
e eme
gency medic
l t
e
tment.)

Next, get
pp
op
i
te <
h
ef=”https://c

inju
yvictims.comho-should-t
e
t-my-inju
ies-
fte
–
n-
uto-
ccident
“>medic
l t
e
tment<>
s quickly
s possible. Neve
t
y to dete
mine you
o
n medic
l condition
fte

vehicle
ccident. You need
p
ofession
l opinion. M
ny se
ious inju
ies don’t m
nifest physic
lly immedi
tely
ften
ccident, but
physici
n c
n ex
mine
nd di
gnose you
pp
op
i
tely.

If you
physici
n indic
tes th
t you’
e not se
iously inju
ed, you’
e home f
ee! Ho
eve
, if you
physici
n di
gnoses
n inju
y
nd
dvises t
e
tment, follo
theiecommend
tions. It’s c
uci
l th
t you keep
ll
eco
ds of you
t
e
tment,
s they
ill help p
ove you
inju
ies
nd expenses. Include
eco
ds of
ll medic
l
nd medic
l-
el
ted
ppointments
nd t
e
tments, such
s p
esc
iption medic
tion,
n
ssistive device like c
utches o

c
ne,
nd so on.

The p
imy
e
son fo
this is to get you b
ck to optim
l he
lth
s quickly
s possible.
n impo
t
nt second
e
son,
hich inju
ed people m
y not
e
lize immedi
tely, is th
t the insunce comp
nies of the
t-f
ult p

ties c
n use g
ps in t
e
tment o
omissions in eithe
of these steps
s e
son to minimize o
even deny you
cl
im. Ho
?
ell, the comp
nies m
y gue th
t you
f
ilu
e to p
omptly see
physici
n o
go to the eme
gency
oom is evidence th
t you
e
en’t se
iously inju
ed, o

t le
st not
s extensively
s you cl
im.
ftell,
se
iously inju
ed pe
son
ould h
ve to go,
ight? If you l
te
develop se
ious issues—
hich is definitely possible—insu
e
s c
n t
y to

gue th
t they h
ppened sep
tely f
om the
ccident, me
ning they don’t be
esponsibility. Similly, insu
e
s c
n t
y to
ield
f
ilu
e to follo
you
docto
’s t
e
tment
ecommend
tions
g
inst you. You
e
en’t inju
ed
s se
iously
s you cl
im, they m
y s
y, o
you
condition developed l
te
. Keep
ll m
te
i
l
el
ted to the
ccident.

Fin
lly, if the
ccident is the f
ult of
nothe
pty (fo
ex
mple, the othe
d
ive
,
m
nuf
ctu
e
, o
ep
i
shop), consult
n expe
ienced c
ccident
tto
ney
ho c
n negoti
te
ith the insu
e
fo
just compens
tion o
help you file
pe
son
l inju
y l

suit.

If You’
e Inju
ed on Someone Else’s P
emises…<
h2>
If you’
e <
h
ef="https:
/c

inju
yvictims.com
se
vices
p
emises-li
bility-l

ye
s
“>inju
ed on
nothe
pe
son’s p
ope
ty >,
h
t should you do? Inte
estingly enough, the b
o
d outline of
h
t you should do is the s
me
s fo
vehicle
ccidents: Fi
st, ensu
e you
s
fety
nd he
lth,
nd then obt
in evidence of
h
t h
ppened.

In Public P
emises Such
s
Sto
e, M
ll,
musement Pk...<
h3>
The l

holds th
t p
ope
ty o
ne
s of p
emises open fo
business to the public must keep thei
p
ope
ties s
fe. If
liquid is spilled in
sto
e, fo
inst
nce, the sto
e’s o
ne
o
m
n
ge
must cle
n it up
s soon
s possible
nd clely
n p
t
ons of the h
zd
ith signs, cones, t
pe, etc. The s
me is t
ue of l
ndlo
ds you
ent
n
p

tment f
om. If
light bulb ove
the st
i
s bu
ns out, th
t’s potenti
lly d
nge
ous,
s you could slip
nd f
ll in the dk. The l
ndlo
d o
designee, such
s
p
ope
ty m
n
ge
, is
esponsible fo
p
omptly
ep
i
ing
nything uns
fe, ot le
st
pp
op
i
tely notifying
esidents to
void the

e
. The l conside
s you
n invitee in both c
ses.
business o
ente
p
ise h
s opened its doo
s fo
business,
nd the o
ne
h
s
duty of c

e to keep the business s
fe foll guests. If you e inju
ed on public p
emises, seek medic
l
ttention immedi
tely if it’s
n eme
gency. If it’s not
n eme
gency, t
ke pictu
es of the

e
in
hich you suffe
ed
n inju
y
ight
y
ith
smtphone o
c
me. It’s
lso
ve
y good ide
to t
ke pictu
es of you
inju
ies. If
nyone s

you

ccident, get thei
cont
ct info
m
tion.

In public p
emises,
le
t the m
n
ge
immedi
tely
nd let them kno
you’ve suffe
ed inju
ies. Fi
st, it
llo
s m
n
gement to
ectify the situ
tion
nd
n othe
s so mo
e people

en’t inju
ed. Second, it lets them kno
they need to c
e
te
n incident
epo
t.
emembe
, you’ll need evidence to p
event insu

nce comp
nies f
om denying you
cl
im,
nd
n incident
epo
t c
n be
g
me-ch
nge
. If insunce comp
nies kno
you didn’t notify
sto
e ottction’s m
n
ge
befo
e le
ving, they’ll t
y to question
hethe
you
inju
y
ctu
lly stemmed f
om
n
ccident on the p
emises. If the comp
nies kno
th
t you neve
notified
l
ndlo
d
bout
n uns
fe condition on inju
y, the s
me
e
soning
pplies. Insu

nce comp
nies
ill t
y to hold these
ctions
g
inst you to
void p
ying you.

On P
iv
te P
ope
ty

If you visit someone’s home o

othe

ope

ty soci

lly, o

if the o

invites you to do

k of some so

t on the p

ope

ty, the l te

ms you

“licensee.” The p

ope

ty o

es you no specific gu

ntee of s

fety on the p

ope

ty, unlike businesses open to the public. Ho

eve

, the o

must eithe

ke conditions s

fe on you if conditions exist th

t pose

nge

(uneven floo

ing, exposed

es, holes in the g

ound, etc.)

t should you do if you e inju

ed? He

e, too, you

st p

ity should be you

lth

nd s

fety. If you need eme

gency medic

ttention, c

ll 911. Beyond th

t, notify the p

ope

ty o

, t

ke pictu

es of the

t inju

ed you,

nd t

ke pictu

es of you

inju

ell.

If the o

s not invited you on the p

ope

ty (eithe

explicitly o

implicitly), you’

esp

sse

by l

. Yes, this is t

ue even if you’

e doing something inoffensive, such

s t

king

sho

tcut ove

neighbo

’s l

n. P

ope

ty o

e gene

lly not

equi

ed by l

n t

esp

sse

s of d

nge

ous conditions,

nd in this c

se, you m

y possess no

ecou

se if you’

e inju

ed.

tt

ctive Nuis
nces<
h3>
Tex
s l does h
s
n exception to the t
esp
ssing c
tego
y, ho
eve
. Fe
tu
es th
t m
y tempt child
en to t
esp
ss on p
iv
te p
ope
ty

e te
med “
tt

ctive nuis
nces.” Ex
mples include s
imming pools, decks
ith fi
e pits, c
oquet pitches,
nd so on—
nything th
t m
y pose
d
nge
to young child
en.

The l
equi
es p
ope
ty o
ne
s to m
ke
tt

ctive nuis
nces s
fe f
om child
en, by inst
lling b
ie
s, such
s
g
te, fence, o
simil b
ie
. If you
child is inju
ed by
n
ttctive nuis
nce, t
ke them to
n eme
gency
oom o
docto
immedi
tely. T
ke pictu
es of
ll inju
ies. If the inju
y isn’t seve
e, t
ke time to t
ke photogph the
tt

ctive nuis
nce, including
ny open b
ie
s (o
pictu
es th
t m
ke the
bsence of b
ie
s cle). Cont
ct
lye
in c
ses like this, bec
use c
ses involving the
tt

ctive nuis
nce l e complic
ted.

Dog Bites

t if the inju

y-c

using

ccident is

dog bite, on

neighbo

’s p

ope

ty o

in public? Unde

Tex

s l, if the dog’s o

kne

tendency to bite o

exhibit violence to

d othe

people, the o

neill likely be

esponsibility fo

the inju

The fi

st step if you o loved one suffe

dog bite is to get to

fe pl

ce. Don’t st

y in

e the dog c

in.

Then,

dministe

id. Cle

n the

ound

nd put b

cte

l ointment

ound it to

void the

isk of infection. Visit

docto

eme

gency

oom if the inju

ies

nt such

visit.

ef=”https://

d.com/

ticle/dog-bites/” t

get=”_bl

nk"

el=”noopene

nofollo

efee

“>Cont

ct the o

<> of the dog to find out if it is v

ccin

ted.

sk if the dog h

ny medic

l issues. Consult

physici

n immedi

tely to discuss you

findings if the dog isn’t up-to-d

te on shots o

s othe

medic

l issues.

lys cont

tto

ney fo

help

ith

dog bite c

se.

If You’
e Inju
ed on
Const
uction Job Site…<
h2>
Const
uction sites e full of d
nge
s
nd h
zds.
o
ke
s m
y f
ll f
om
site, suffe
elect
ocution, be st
uck by f
lling objections, o

ind up c
ught bet
een t
o pl
ces
nd pl
ced in
d
nge
ous vise. These fou
types of
ccidents e kno
n
s the<
h
ef="https:
/
.osh
.gov/d
t
/commonst
ts" tget="_bl
nk”
el="noopene
nofollo
no
efe

e
"> F
t
l Fou
>. In m
ny st
tes, comp
nies

e oblig
ted to c
y
o
ke
’s compens
tion cove

ge. In Tex
s, ho
eve
, the l le
ves the decision
bout
hethe
o
not to c
y
o
ke
’s compens
tion up to e
ch comp
ny.
o
ke
’s compens
tion is
n insu

nce system th
t p
ys fo
medic
l c

e
nd
ce
t
in pe
cent
ge of

ges if
o
ke
s suffe
on-the-job inju
ies.
o
ke
’s compens
tion
lso offe
s dis
bility benefits if the inju
y
ende
s the
o
ke
un
ble to pe
fo
m his o
he
job functions
ny longe
. If you e inju
ed, seek medic
l
ttention immedi
tely. Ho
eve
, it is
lso c
uci
lly impo
t
nt to cont
ct o
ke
’s compens
tion
tto
ney.
o
ke
s’ compens
tion
ules
nd
egul
tions

e ext
emely complic
ted,
ith multiple
equi
ements
bout<
h
ef=”https://
.tdi.tex
s.gov/
c
employee/ief
qe.html#q1" tget="_bl
nk”
el="noopene
nofollo
no
efe

e
">
hen
nd ho
to
epo
t the
ccident<>,
s
ell
s follo
-up
equi
ements. F
ilu
e to folloll of the
equi
ements c
n
esult in the deni
l of you
cl
im.
n
tto
ney c
n
dvise you on
equi
ements
nd
ppe
l
denied cl
im.

Mo
eove
, const
uction sites usu
lly involve c
e
s f
om multiple contcto
s, like elect
ici
ns, l
bo
e
s, te
mste
s,
elde
s, m
sons, c

pente
s,
nd mo
e.
<
h
ef=”https://c

inju
yvictims.com
“>pe
son
l inju
y lye
> c
n
lso see if
ny of these thi
d pties—comp
nies othe
th
n you
employe
—cont
ibuted to you
inju
y. If so, you
l

ye
m
y file
cl
im
g
inst them,
hich could
esult in you
ecove
ing mo
e d
m
ges th
n the
o
ke
s’ comp system
ould
llo
.

In
ll these types of inju
y-c
using
ccidents, keep det
iled
eco
ds of medic
l visits, di
gnoses, t
e
tment
ecommend
tions,
nd ho
you follo
ed the
ecommend
tions.

If you
equi
e mo
e info
m
tion, <
h
ef="https:
/c

inju
yvictims.com
cont
ct-us
“>cont
ct<>
pe
son
l inju
y lye
today.

On P ivte P opety

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iv
te P
ope
ty