Motor Vehicle Accident - Helpful Hints

What you SHOULD do if you are involved in an auto accident:

1. Seek immediate medical care and treatment if you are injured. This is the first and most important step to take in any type of accident.
2. Take photos of:
• your personal injuries,
• the property damage to your vehicle;
• the other vehicle;
• the scene of the accident.

Often times these photos will reveal invaluable evidence in your case.

1. Keep all receipts of damaged property, medical bills, tow bill, rental vehicle and other expenses and losses related to the accident.
2. Contact your own auto insurance carrier to notify them that you were involved in an accident. You may have insurance that will help cover your losses. Ask your insurance carrier to help you obtain a rental car.
3. Take detailed notes of all conversations with your insurance company. Get names, phone numbers, and job titles of people you speak with--including their supervisor's name. Do not speak to the insurance carrier of the party who injured you.
4. Submit your medical bills to your own health insurance carrier. Under certain limited circumstances your health insurance carrier may be entitled to reimbursement from a settle with the defendant's insurance company. Ask us if this applies in your case.
5. Locate your own auto insurance policy for an attorney to review. You have a contract with your own auto insurer. Therefore, your own insurance company may owe you certain obligations when you have been involved in an accident. Bring in a copy of your auto policy for one of our attorneys to review.

What NOT to do if you've been involved in an accident:

1. Don't give any recorded or written statements to your insurer or the defendant's insurance company without first contacting an attorney. Remember you are not required to let the insurance company record your telephone conversation. If you have questions, call our law firm. On rare occasion giving a statement is beneficial to your case. However, more often than not giving a statement makes your claim less valuable and works to your disadvantage. Allow us to assist you in determining whether giving a statement is the appropriate decision.
2. Don't automatically accept the estimate or appraisal of your losses given to you by the insurer. Insurance companies will often try to get you to accept their offer, which more often than not is slanted in their favor. Most insurance companies currently are using hardball one-offer tactics with regard to property damage claims. Let us help you resolve all of your insurance related claims.
3. DON'T sign any releases or waivers of any kind until you obtain legal advice. A bad financial situation after a major loss may be made worse if you accept a premature, inadequate settlement from an insurance company.
4. Don't ignore time limits. You have a set period of time, depending on where your accident happened, to get your case settled. If you fail to act within those time limits, you will be barred forever from your right to be compensated.
5. Don't let your insurance carrier accept a percentage of fault for the accident. It is critical to speak with an attorney if the insurance company for the driver who injured you asserts that you are partially to blame for the accident. If your insurance carrier accepts a portion of fault for the accident, it could negatively affect your insurance rates.

If you have been harmed in an auto accident or suffered an insurance related loss, please contact the attorneys at McCollum & Griggs, LLC today. We offer free initial consultations and work on a contingent fee basis, which means that there is never a fee unless we successfully recover on your case.

For immediate assistance, call us at 816-474-0202