Automobile accidents are a common, everyday occurrence. Body-shop repair bills, totaled vehicles, physical injuries, medical expenses, and lost wages are also common consequences of these accidents. Unfortunately, it's also common for insurance companies that provide insurance to pay for these losses to try to convince victims and their families to settle cheap and quickly before they consult an attorney and before the full extent of the losses and medical issues are known.
At Stutes & Lavergne, we maximize recovery in automobile accidents with urgent and thorough investigation of the facts of every accident, including our own accident scene inspection and forensic accident reconstruction when needed. We also incorporate these findings into our trial presentation with easy-to-understand, yet state-of-the-art, technology.
We are never satisfied with a recovery of your most obvious losses. Every loss you suffer should be compensated when it is the result of someone else's negligence. If you need the services of an experienced personal injury attorney, contact Stutes & Lavergne for a free consultation.
If you are injured in a motor vehicle accident, there a few things you should do for your safety and to protect your interests:
Immediately call 911 for the appropriate emergency response such as advice from a 911 operator for dealing with injured people on the scene and requesting a police officer, the fire department or an ambulance;
Have all people, including witnesses, move to a safe area away from the highway. Walking and standing around the highway or trying to push a vehicle often results in more injuries from passing traffic;
If an injured person can't be moved from the scene, assign someone to direct or route traffic from a safe and highly visible area and assign another person to stay with the victim to comfort and reassure him or her that help is on the way;
Cooperate with police and other emergency personnel;
If a tow truck removes your vehicle, be sure to remove any items you want and ask for a business card from the tow-truck driver or write down the company name and phone number of the tow-truck company. Clients often come into our office and have no idea where their damaged vehicle is because the tow truck quietly removed it from the scene and didn't leave any contact information. It's important to know where it is because daily storage fees immediately begin to accrue;
After emergency personnel take control of the scene, have someone take notes and photographs of important items that might fade from your memory such as street signs, buildings, landmarks, witnesses, property damage, the date and time, the weather, phone numbers, insurance company names, and any behavior or statements you notice and think is important. Be sure all of these things are done from a safe area;
Immediately seek medical attention if you need it;
Contact your own automobile insurance company and notify it of the accident and your injuries;
Contact the at-fault driver's insurance company to set up a claim. Be sure to write down all important information such as the claim number, the phone number and the name of every person with whom you speak. You'll need to let that company know where your vehicle is so it can be fixed or declared a total loss. Either way, it's important that happens as soon as possible.
At Stutes & Lavergne, we maximize recovery in automobile accidents with urgent and thorough investigation of the facts of every accident, including our own accident scene inspection and forensic accident reconstruction when needed. We also incorporate these findings into our trial presentation with easy-to-understand, yet state-of-the-art, technology.
