If you’re waiting in the ER, you need to read this!
If you're waiting in the ER you need to read this!
Being involved in an accident is difficult and disorienting. Your mind is moving at 100mph and you’re trying to figure out what to do next.
Ask yourself these 3 questions:
Did you call 911?
If the cops arrived, you did well and you'll have a police report in 5-10 days that will have all of the relevant information with it.
If you didn't call the cops, that’s ok. Once you are physically able to, you need to report the accident to your local police department ASAP.
Do you have any pictures or videos?
Good, hold on to those, we'll need them.
If not then try to document as much as possible while it’s fresh on your mind.
Do you have any witnesses?
Great, hang onto that information, we'll need it too.
Do you have Medicaid, Medicare, or Health Insurance?
If you do, you should present this information to a billing representative and ask them to run your insurance. Emergency room visits are very expensive (often times several thousand dollars) and using your health insurance will reduce those bills significantly.
Now, this part is VERY important:
Insurance companies are not your friends. They make big money by paying the least amount possible. Any/every contact you have with an insurance company should ONLY be to disclose the information necessary to open the claim. Do not discuss ANYTHING about your physical condition. We’ll get more into that in a second!
Call your insurance and tell them you've been involved in a wreck - that will start the process and you'll be assigned a claim number and claim handler. As your lawyer, we will gladly do this for you.
YOU SHOULD NEVER speak to an Insurance Adjuster about your injuries because you don't know the extent of your injuries yet. What you say can and will be used against you. If they ask you any questions about your physical condition you can just say, "Yes I am hurt, but I will not discuss that. You can talk to my lawyer about my injuries."
The sooner you open the claim, the quicker you can get into a rental and the quicker someone can begin repairing your car or pay you out for total loss.
Bottom line: You need an attorney. An attorney is trained to know all of the ends and outs of property damage, rental coverage, insurance policies, injuries, treatment thereof, and the value of cases.
At Chaz Roberts Law we handle cases every single day. We know the questions before they’re asked. We have relationships that we will leverage to your benefit. We have worked with just about every doctor in Lafayette, Louisiana and will help you to get the best medical treatment available. We can assure you that we will do our very best to get you the settlement you deserve. Do not let this accident cause even more damage by stressing about it, or worse, saying something that could be used against you.
If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to our team at any time. 337.504.3202 or cr@chazrobertslaw.com.