DIRECTIONS TO OUR OFFICE

• Car Accidents
• Slip & Fall
• Medical Negligence

Car Accidents

No matter how carefully you drive, you may not be able to avoid being involved in an accident. What follows the accident can be as traumatizing as the accident itself. From dealing with the police, to gathering insurance information, to making a claim; and just coping with the shock of the accident itself can be frustrating and overwhelming. Doing the right thing, in the right way, at the right time may help you avoid legal problems down the road. Following are some steps to take if you are involved in an accident, regardless of fault:

1. Do not leave the scene of the accident.

Even if you believe it is a minor traffic accident, your failure to stop may lead to criminal prosecution, even if the accident was not your fault. You should stop your car as soon as possible without further endangering anyone else or obstructing traffic. Unless you are taken away by ambulance, do not leave the scene until the police officer has completed his/her investigation and made his/her report.

2. Call the Police

Police officers are trained to handle any situation that may arise after an automobile accident. When the police officer arrives, briefly tell him/her basic facts. Your emotions and the stress of the collision may deceive you, and even though you may not be physically injured, you may suffer from shock and excitement which makes it difficult for you to think clearly at the time. Therefore do not admit fault or sign anything, even if you think you are wrong. You may learn later that you are not in the wrong or that the other driver was equally responsible.

If you are arrested, any statement may be used as an admission, so it is important that you contact your lawyer before making a statement.

3. Assist the injured

If someone is injured dial 911 at once. Be prepared to tell the operator your location and be as accurate as possible so that help is not delayed. If someone is bleeding, stop it by applying pressure or a tourniquet. You should not move an injured person. Render first aid only if you are qualified.

4. Take notes

Make your own notes immediately after the accident. Get the other driver’s name, address, and tag number, and if possible get the name and number of the insurance companies and the policy numbers covering the other cars in the accident. Also, get the names and addresses of all passengers in all cars involved in the accident. By all means get names and address of all eyewitnesses and if you can, get a statement from the witnesses as to what happened and have them, if they will, right it down at the scene.

If you or someone else has a camera at the scene, take pictures to preserve skid marks, the position of the cars and other physical evidence that will disappear after the accident is cleared.

5. Get medical attention

Serious injuries are not always immediately evident. If your injuries do not require emergency attention, make an appoint to see your doctor immediately, and ask your passengers to do likewise. Any delay between your accident and your medical treatment could prevent you from being properly reimbursed and/or compensated for your injuries and expenses.

6. Report the accident to your insurance company

Your insurance policy requires that you notify your insurance company as quickly as is practicable after you are involved in an automobile accident. Failure to notify your insurance company may constitute grounds for the insurer to deny you claim. Thus, it is essential that you report the accident immediately.

Whiplash

The human body cannot absorb certain types of impact, particularly those caused by automobile collisions. The reason for this is physiological. The human head weighs roughly 10 - 15 pounds, and rests upon the most flexible and least reinforced part of the spine: the neck. Your neck contains 32 joints (among other muscle and ligaments) and is easily stretched and injured if too much force is applied in any direction. When the joints of the neck are stretched or strained beyond their normal limitations, they can lose their ability to return to their original length.

Automobiles, on the other hand, are heavy, solid objects weighing approximately two tons. These structures are designed to absorb impact and minimize energy transfer, however the amount of force exerted when one automobile is struck by another is equal to thousands of pounds – much of which is exerted upon the neck and spine of the occupants. The neck cannot support or control the weight of the head under such circumstances, and the head is forcefully thrust in the direction of the vehicle causing the impact. The sudden movement of the head, backwards, forwards or sideways, is referred to as “whiplash". Doctors refer to it as cervical acceleration/deceleration trauma or syndrome, which describes the rapid movements that can injure the vertebrae of the neck and the muscles and ligaments that support them. As the muscles and other tissues within the neck then stretch toward their physical limits, extreme tension builds and the muscles “snap” (or “whip”) with a violent spasm in the opposite direction.

During this violent process, the soft discs between the spinal bones can stretch or tear, and vertebrae can be forced out of their normal position, reducing range of motion. The spinal cord and nerve roots in the neck can get stretched and become irritated. The result is injury to the muscles, ligaments, nerves (commonly referred to a “soft tissue injuries”) and the joints within the neck, which will generally cause headaches, dizziness, pain in the shoulders, arms and hands, reduced ability to turn and bend, and low back problems. Inasmuch as bruising of the brain can also sometimes occur in auto accidents and similarly severe causes of whiplash, some automobile accident victims experience blurred vision, ringing in the ears, numbness and tingling, nausea, and headaches.

Passenger Injuries

If you are a passenger in a vehicle involved in an accident, and if you have sustained injury as a result, you are entitled to receive compensation for your injuries. As a passenger, you may have a claim against both the driver of the vehicle in which you were riding as well as the drivers of any other vehicles (or any other negligent party) involved in the collision. A passenger is generally not considered to be at fault or partially at fault for causing an accident unless he or she does something to cause an accident such as distract the driver.

As a passenger in an accident, it is important for you to independently obtain all necessary information at the scene of an accident if safely possible.