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 While each client and case is different, every
personal injury victim shares pain, financial concerns, and a right to
hold those responsible for the accident accountable. Not surprisingly, a
substantial portion of our personal injury cases here at Brown & Crouppen are related to automobile
accidents.
Auto accidents are the leading cause of death for U.S. citizens aged 34
and younger. Annually, auto accidents are responsible for over
40,000 deaths. At an average rate of 115 fatalities per day, auto
accidents cost a staggering $150 billion yearly. Everyone is likely to be
involved in at least one auto accident in his or her lifetime.
If you have been injured in a preventable automobile accident, or have lost
someone to a fatal mishap, you may be entitled to recover monetary damages
from those responsible. To succeed in a claim against another driver, it
is necessary to show that he or she was negligent, that is, failed to act
reasonably and in a manner which respects the safety of other drivers.
Litigation is intended to restore the injured person to the position he or
should would have been in had the accident never occurred. While money can
never compensate adequately for serious personal injury or death, an
innocent party is entitled to just and fair damages to compensate so far
as is possible for their injury and losses.
Legal cases are won or lost on the available evidence and the following
information should be obtained and preserved for your attorney as soon as
possible:
- The other driver’s name, address, date
of birth, telephone number.
- The other driver’s license number and
insurance company name and policy number.
- The name and badge number of the
attending police officer.
- The names, addresses and phone numbers
of any witnesses.
- Attend a doctor or hospital to document
any injury.
- Make a detailed personal note about the
accident as soon as possible.
- A diagram of street layout, position of
vehicles and location of witnesses.
- Photograph the accident scene, damage to
the vehicles and any visible injuries.
Common auto accident injuries include
whiplash, head and brain injury, paralysis, and joint, bone, and muscle
injuries. Auto accident victims should seek medical attention as soon as
possible if they believe they are injured. Auto accident claims for
damages resulting from injuries usually depend on medical records linking
the auto accident to the injuries received. In general, auto accidents are
handled through each party's insurance company, and settled fairly
quickly. However, it is important to remember that insurance is first and
foremost a business, so what is best for you is generally not in the
insurance company’s best interest. Backed by a team of team of adjusters,
investigators and attorneys, the insurance company’s objective is to
minimize the amount of money that they pay out. At Brown & Crouppen, we
advise our automobile injury clients on our “Golden Rules” of insurance
companies:
- The insurance company is not your
friend. As a business, insurance’s goal is profit. Their team works to
eliminate payments or to pay as little as possible.
- The insurance company is always
represented by an experienced car accident lawyer. Should you choose not
to be represented by a qualified attorney, you will face the
considerable resources of a powerful company without help.
- Insurance companies pay almost three
times more money in cases where the victim is represented by a lawyer.
This fact comes straight out of an insurance company’s training manual.
In some cases, accidents that result
in personal injury or extensive property loss lead to lawsuits. Damages
sought in those cases can include the cost of medical treatment, loss of
property, and loss of wages.
If you are an accident victim, you may be
too overwhelmed by physical and emotional trauma to even think about your
rights, responsibilities and the future. At Brown & Crouppen, we make your
interests our priority. Do not settle for less than fair compensation.
Hiring an attorney does not mean that your case will take years to be
settled or require that you go to court. With Brown & Crouppen, your case
will probably be settled favorably in months, not years. Few of our
clients have ever appeared in court.
At Brown & Crouppen our policy in car accident cases and other personal
injury cases is to never charge an “in advance” legal fee. We believe we
should make money only after we make you money. Personal injury law is
complex and negligence can be difficult to prove. When you need the
support of a strong team of legal professionals, please call our office
at Toll Free: 866-991-4700 or
e-mail us.
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