The following are things you should know before you are in an accident that will make your life less stressful and more able to deal with the events you have been forced to confront. These informational tips will help you understand what might confront you and how to best prepare yourself to minimize your stress and negative consequences .
We all have been in situations where we have thought afterwards ..”I wish I had known that before this happened” or “I only wish I had known”. Well in the world of personal injury we as lawyers hear that all the time. The following are things you should know before you are in an accident that will make your life less stressful and more able to deal with the events you have been forced to confront. These informational tips will help you understand what might confront you and how to best prepare yourself to minimize your stress and negative consequences . Whether you are confronted with a car crash, construction injury or any other type of injury which results from someone’s negligence these will help you. It does not matter whether your injuries include broken bones, lost wages ,scars ,brain injury or any other type of impairment these tips will ease your stress and help you to protect yourself from the trained representatives of insurance companies whose sole motivation is to minimize the amount they have to pay to save their companies money.
#1 ALWAYS REQUEST AN CRASH OR INCIDENT REPORT
If you are in a car crash, motorcycle or truck accidentalways call the police and wait for them so they can document the event with a crash report. If you are injured on the property of another ask for an incident report to be completed and ask for a copy of it before you leave. Even if you think you are not hurt seriously it is important to get the facts including date, time witnesses names and address etc.documented as soon as you can. It is not unusual for symptoms to appear hours or even days after an event. Always ask how you can get a copy of any report and do not sign unless you are given a copy of what you are asked to sign or at least told how you can obtain a copy. It is not unusual for someone to accept fault at the scene and try to get on their way without having a report prepared.Then later if they change their story the truth can be harder to ascertain and prove without a report .
If someone suggests they will take care of any damages on their own and ask you not to call the police, be sure to call the police. Exchanging names , addresses and insurance information does not guarantee that what you are given is accurate. This one precaution can save you much stress as you attempt to deal with the issues that confront you.
#2 ALWAYS REPORT AN EVENT TO YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY
This may seem contrary to your own best interest , however if you have been injured in a auto crash, construction accident or other event that leaves you with lost wages ,disabled , impaired or with other injuries it is best to make your insurance aware as soon as possible so they can start a file(this will often preclude a later denial for failure to timely report a claim). The insurance company you should contact is not only your auto policy ,but your health insurance , disability , homeowners , workmen’s compensation and even life insurance where appropriate. The reason you should let them know is to find out if they provide any benefits(which you have already paid a premium for) that might help you as you work your way through the process of trying to get your life back to normal.I have had clients who did not want to report a case to their insurance company because they thought it would raise their rates. My response is always the same. You have already paid for this coverage. They can’t raise your rate for using coverage you have already paid for. It would be like going to the grocery and getting some steaks on sale for $3.99 per pound and at the check out counter they tell you if you take home the steaks and eat them then the next time they will charge you more. No one would go back to that store and no insurance company should ever try to pull that line on one of there insured. So if the occasion arises where you are injured in a crash or accident then be sure to list the insurance’s companies that you have (and pay premiums to ) that might apply and at least report the claim. There are times when they might not have any coverage’s that apply and others where they do at that time or at a latter time(e.g. if you later find out that the drunk driver who crashed into did not pay his premiums and is uninsured).
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