What to Do After a Car Accident - Stewart J. Guss, Attorney At Law

ccidents h

ppen eve

y d

ll ove

the United St

tes. In f

ct,

cco

ding to the N

tion

l High

y T

ffic S

fety

dminist

tion (NHTS

), the

e mo

e th

n <

ef=”https://c

shst

ts.nhts

.dot.gov/

Public/Vie

Public

tion/812580″>2.1 million police-

epo

ted inju

y-c

using

ccidents<> in the United St

tes in one

ecent ye. Despite being so common, fo

most of us,

ious, inju

y-c

using

ccident is

expe

ience. In

ddition, c cshes c

n le

ve victims diso

iented, upset,

nd unsu

bout

t to do next. It’s vit

l to unde

nd th

fte

ccident h

ppens, the insu

nce comp

ny fo

the

t-f

ult d

ive

ts doing eve

ything it possibly c

n to p

y out

s little

s possible—ovoid p

ying out

ltogethe

. Fo

this

son, it is C

ITIC

L th

t victims t

ke steps to p

otect thei

leg

ights

nd ensu

e th

t they get the compens

tion they dese

ve unde

the l.

If Necessy, Seek Immedi
te Medic
l
ttention

ften

ccident, the fi

st thing you should do is dete

mine

hethe

you need immedi

te medic

ttention. If you do,

ccept t

tment f

om eme

gency medic

l pe

sonnel

t the scene

nd go to the hospit

l, if you h

ny medic

l conce

ll. The

lys ys to obt

in info

tion

bout youccident

fte

the f

ct, including eye

itness st

tements, police

epo

ts, su

veill

nce foot

ge,

nd mo

e. F

iling to seek medic

ttention fo

n inju

y th

equi

es it could

esult in signific

nt h

m, so it’s

lys bette

the

be s

fe th

n soy

hen it comes to c

ccident inju

ies.

Not only c

n f

iling to seek immedi

te medic

ttention jeopdize you

lth, it could

lso p

ovide the insunce comp

ith

n oppo

tunity to gue th

ny inju

ies you

e cl

iming e f

ke o

not

s se

ious

s you s

y they e. The y this gument goes is th

t if you

lly inju

ed, you

ould h

ve gone stight to the hospit

nd the f

ct th

t you didn’t is p

oof th

t you e not

lly hu

t. The

st p

bout this type of gument is th

t the insu

nce comp

ny kno

s full

ell th

t c

ccident victims e often in shock

nd full of

line

nd often c

n’t tell just ho

iously they’

e hu

t. In spite of this kno

ledge, insu

nce comp

nies

egul

ly t

nd deny cl

ims m

de by people

ho e se

iously inju

ed just bec

use they didn’t seek medic

ttention

ight

y. Fo

this

son, if the

e is

ny question

s to

hethe

you

inju

ies

equi

e immedi

te medic

ttention, you should go di

ectly to the ne

est hospit

If You C
n St
y
t the Scene, G
the
Info
m
tion

In the event th

t you DO st

t the scene of the

ccident, collect

s much info

tion

bout the

ccident

s you possibly c

n. M

ke su

e to get the n

mes of the d

ive

s involved

ell

s info

tion

bout the

uto insunce

nd the vehicle they

e d

iving, such

s the m

nd model of the vehicle

nd thei

license pl

te numbe

. If

ny comme

l vehicles

e involved, m

ke su

e to t

ke note of

ny mkings th

t indic

te the comp

esponsible fo

thei

opetion. In the

fte

th of

ious c

ccident, you

tphone’s c

me is you

best f

iend. Do not hesit

te to t

ke pictu

es of the

fte

th of the

ccident, you

inju

ies, the d

ge to you

vehicle, the pl

e the c

sh took pl

ce, onything you see th

t you think m

y be out of the o

din

y. Fo

mple, if you see d

ge on one of the vehicles th

t you believe existed BEFO

E the

ccident, t

pictu

e of it. In some c

ses, d

ged vehicles should not be on the

ll,

nd it’s possible th

t p

evious vehicle d

s p

t of the

son you

ccident occu

ll.

ny eye

itnesses to youccident fo

cont

ct info

tion. In the event th

t you

se becomes contested, eye

itness testimony

bout the

y in

hich

ccident took pl

ce c

n often help p

ove

ho s

t f

ult. In

ddition, m

ke note of

ny su

veill

nce c

mes th

t you believe m

y h

ve c

ptu

ed you

ccident t

king pl

ce. Look both fo

s mounted on t

ffic lights

nd those on

ny buildings th

t m

y be in the vicinity. If you see

ny, keep in mind th

t foot

ge is often deleted on egul b

sis, so it’s impo

nt th

t you cont

l fi

m immedi

tely so th

t he o

she c

n get st

ted on t

king steps to secu

e the foot

ge befo

e it’s no longe

ble.

See You
Doctond
equest
Tho
ough Medic
l Ev
lu
tion<
h2>
Once the initi
l shock of the
ccident is ove
, the scene is cle
ned up,
nd you e cleed to go home by eme
gency medic
l pe
sonnel o
hospit
l st
ff, you should c
ll you
docto
(o

docto
, if you don’t h
ve one)
nd
sk fo

tho
ough medic
l ev
lu
tion. You should do this even if you think th
t you
inju
ies en’t th
t se
ious o
e going to he
l on thei
o
n,
hy?
emembe
, the insu

nce comp
ny is going to do EVE
YTHING it c
n to p
y you
s LITTLE
S POSSIBLE. Just like
ith people
ho do not go to the hospit
l
fte

n
ccident, the insunce comp
ny c
n gue th
t the f
ct th
t you didn’t go to the docto
is evidence th
t you
inju
ies

e not
s se
ious
s you e cl
iming. In
ddition, if you do not h
ve offici
l document
tion
bout you
inju
ies, it’s much hde
to p
ove thei
se
iousness
nd th
t the
ccident c
used them. In f
ct, the longe
th
t you

it to see the docto
, the hde
it c
n be to collect compens
tion fo
you
c
ccident inju
ies. In some c
ses, the insunce comp
ny m
y gue th
t some event in-bet
een youccident
nd you
cl
im

s the
ctu
l c
use of you
inju
ies
nd m
y t
y
nd deny you
cl
im completely. Fo
this
e
son, see
doctos soon
s you c
n
fte
youccident
nd be
s desc
iptive
s possible
bout you
inju
ies. Fo
ex
mple, if you
elbo
is
bit so
e
fte
you

ccident
nd you think it’s b
uised o
you
neck is stiff, TELL YOU
DOCTO
. The mo
e det
il th
t goes into you
medic
l
eco
d
bout you
inju
ies, the bette
.
hen it comes time to m
ke
cl
im, this type of document
tion c
n m
ke getting the compens
tion you dese
ve much e
sie
.

St
y off of Soci
l Medi
<
h2>
These d
ys, m
ny of us sh

e impo
t
nt life events (
nd not so impo
t
nt life events, like
h
t
e
te fo
b
e
kf
st) on soci
l medi
pl
tfo
ms like <
h
ef="http:
/
.f
cebook.com/”>F
cebook<>, <
h
ef="http:
/
.t
itte
.com
“>T
itte
>,
nd <
h
ef=”http://
.inst
g

m.com/”>Inst
gm<>.
hile
c
ccident
nd its
fte
m
th m
y seem like something th
t is undoubtedly sh

e-
o
thy, it’s impo
t
nt to keep in mind th
t soci
l medi
posts c
n hu
t you
c
ccident cl
im
nd m
y even
esult in the insunce comp
ny denying you
cl
im completely?

Ho
?
emembe
, the insunce comp
ny
ill do
NYTHING to
educe the
mount p
ys you. Th
t’s thei
business model. They h
ppily collect p
emiums f
om thei
custome
s eve
y single month, but
hen it comes time to p
y, they do eve
ything they c
n to
void it. This includes t
olling you
soci
l medi
posts fo

nything they could possibly use
s evidence th
t you
e
e
t f
ult fo
youccident o
e f
king you
inju
ies. Fo
ex
mple, if you posted something
bout ho
you h
d
ecently sent
text o
th
t you

indshield

s di
ty befo
e you

ccident, the insu

nce comp
ny could t
y
nd use th
t
s evidence th
t you
e
e p

ti
lly
t f
ult fo
the
ccident th
t inju
ed you. Like
ise, if you posted pictu
es of you
self out
ith f
iends, t
ying to get some exe
cise, o
doing
NYTHING
T
LL th
t m
de you look h
ppy in the le
st bit, they m
y t
y
nd use those posts
s evidence th
t you e not
e
lly inju
ed
nd e f
king.
nd don’t m
ke the mist
ke of thinking th
t just bec
use you
p
ofile is set to P
iv
te th
t you

e s
fe f
om thei
p
ying eyes.
emembeho you e de
ling
ith. Insunce comp
nies h
ve ys to get into you
p
iv
te p
ofile to monito
you
posts,
nd the
e h
ve even been
epo
ts of insu

nce comp
nies m
king f
ke p
ofiles to connect
ith o
f
iend
ccident victims so th
t they c
n keep
n eye on
h
t they e posting.
s
genel
ule, st
y off of soci
l medi

fte

c
ccident
hile you
cl
im is pending. Th
t s
id, if you h
ve posted
nything, do not delete it,
s you could f
ce
ccus
tions of
ttempting to dest
oy evidence,
hich could get you in se
ious t
ouble. If you h
ve
ny questions
bout you
soci
l medi
use
fte

n
ccident, c
ll ou
expe
ienced c
ccident l fi
m
s soon
s you c
n.

Do Not Give the Insunce Comp
ny

eco
ded St
tement

ny insunce comp

nies p

essu

ccident victims to p

ovide

eco

ded st

tement. They often tell victims th

tement

ill help them “p

ocess”

im o

t they

on’t be

ble to p

y out if they do not p

ovide one. None of this is t

ue. The only

son th

t the insunce comp

nts victims to p

ovide

itten st

tement is in hopes th

t they

ill s

y something th

t c

n justify

educing thei

settlement offe

emembe
: The Insunce Comp
ny Is NOT on You
Side<
h2>
s
c
ccident victim going th
ough the cl
ims p
ocess, pe
h
ps the most impo
t
nt thing to
emembe
is th
t the insunce comp
ny is not on you
side
nd does not

nt to p
y you
nything.
s esult, you should t
ke
skeptic
l vie
of
nything they

nt o
s
y to you – no m
tte
ho
nice the pe
son on the othe
end of the phone seems. Insunce
djuste
s m
y even get bonuses fo
p
ying out
s little
s possible, so you c
n be su
e th
t they e not looking out fo
you
best inte
ests. Some of the t
icks th
t insu

nce comp
nies use to minimize the
mount they p
y out include:

s discussed
bove, p
essu
ing
ccident victims to p
ovide eco
ded st
tement<
li>

equesting ove
ly b
o
d
utho
iz
tions to dig th
ough victims’ medic
l
eco
ds, hoping to find
NYTHING they c
n use to ch
cte
ize thei
inju
ies
s “p
e-existing conditions”<
li>

iting fo
medic
l bills to st

t piling up befo
e m
king
settlement offe
, kno
ing th
t victims
ill be unde
fin
nci
l p
essu
e to
ccept
lo
e
offe
<
li>

M
king
n un
e
son
bly lo
settlement offe
in the fi
st fe
d
ys follo
ing
n
ccident, hoping to get to victims befo
e they h
ve h
d
ch
nce to spe
k
ith
n
tto
ney
nd befo
e they h
ve
e
lized the full extent of thei
economic
nd non-economic losses

These

e just some of the

ys th
t sh
dy c

insu

nce comp
nies m
y t
y
nd t
ick you into t
king
settlement less th
n you
c
se is
o
th o
s
ying something th
t could justify denying you
cl
im. To unde
st
nd just ho
unsc
upulous they c
n be, conside
this: if
n
djuste
st

ts
conve
s
tion
ith you
ith “Ho
e you doing tod
y?”
nd you
eply “fine,” the insunce comp
ny m
y t
y
nd use youesponse
s evidence th
t you e not
e
lly th
t hu
t.

et
in Ou
Expe
ienced L Fi
m
s Soon
s You Possibly C
n<
h2>
Fin
lly, the single best y you c
n p
otect you
leg
l
ights
ften
ccident is to
et
in
n <
h
ef="https:
/c

inju
yvictims.com
se
vices
c

–
ccident-
tto
ney-houston
“>expe
ienced c
ccident l

fi
m<>
s soon
s you c
n. You
leg
l te
m
ill tho
oughly ev
lu
te you
c
se
nd dete
mine f
om
hom you m
y be
ble to
ecove
. In
ddition, you
l fi
m
ill t
ke the time to figu
e just ho
much you
c
se is
o
th, t
king into
ccount you
medic
l expenses, the d
m
ge to you
vehicle, you
lost income,
nd non-economic d
m
ges like you
p
in
nd suffe
ing
nd lost qu
lity of life. Best of
ll,
hen you’ve
et
ined
l

fi
m, you
leg
l te
m
ill h
ndle
ll communic
tions
ith the insunce comp
ny on you
beh
lf, ensu
ing th
t you don’t get t
icked into s
ying something th
t could hu
t you
cl
im
nd letting you focus on the most impo
t
nt thing—you
physic
l
nd emotion
l
ecovery.

If Necessy, Seek Immedite Medic l ttention

If You Cn St y t the Scene, G the Info mtion

Do Not Give the Insunce Compny eco ded Sttement

Testimonials

Read More

If Necessy, Seek Immedi
te Medic
l
ttention

If You C
n St
y
t the Scene, G
the
Info
m
tion

Do Not Give the Insunce Comp
ny

eco
ded St
tement