How a Lawyer Can Help After a Car Accident - Part Two

Posted on April 27, 2010 by Jason Krebs

In Part One of this series about how a lawyer can help after a car accident,  I covered one concern people have--that it may look like they are not knowledgeable enough or basically, the "How hard can it be" mindset.   I countered that an accident attorney can navigate the insurance company roadblocks for you and possibly increase the compensation you could receive for your injuries. 

Now I want to cover another reason I hear from people as to why they are apprehensive about contacting a personal injury lawyer--They don't want to look like they are chasing money or are greedy.  To this I say, that is definitely NOT what hiring a lawyer after an accident is all about.

First, if you are hurt in a car accident, the other driver who may have caused the accident is likely not going to have to write you a check for any damages.  Don't feel bad for that poor high school kid or sweet old lady who was so upset after hitting your car.  Who pays in an accident is the insurance company. Think AIG, Shelter Insurance, Allstate, and Progressive and not the sweet old lady.  This is why Missouri law requires drivers to carry auto insurance and this is the purpose for having auto insurance.  

After you are hurt in a car accident, you can have a lot of new expenses.  We all know health care is very costly.  Even if you are fortunate to have health insurance, there are deductibles and uncovered procedures. You will certainly have repairs to your car and maybe even a temporary rental car while yours is in the shop.  You may have missed work while in the hospital without sick days or vacation days (or after you used those) and you had no income.  Extra therapy may be required for your recovery that your health insurance won't cover, or you have to take unpaid time off work for therapy since you may have used all your sick days and vacation time.  Additionally, you may be injured so that you cannot work the same job or enjoy the same activities.  Lastly, there may be future medical expenses do to the long term effects of your injuries.  These are all costs that you are now paying as the result of a car accident that was not your fault (or at least not 100% your fault).

It is not definitely not selfish to ask that the responsible party's insurance company pay for these unexpected expenses and even for your related pain and suffering.  No sane person would willing choose to be involved in a serious car accident just for the money. It is too disruptive to your life, your family, your goals and causes too much uncertainty for your future.

As a car accident lawyer, I turn down clients every day who are just trying to make a claim for the money.  They usually don't have a case and even if they do, it certainly isn't a case I want.  If you are hurt from a car accident, call an experienced lawyer for help. Get an expert to do the work for you and help you maximize your claim.  Don't worry about looking like you can't do it yourself or looking like a a gold digger.  Instead, worry about getting your life back.

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More on elderly drivers

Posted on March 9, 2009 by Jason Krebs

The Springfield News-Leader had an interesting letter to the editor from Paul Phariss.  Judging from the comments,  I don't think this would be politically very popular. The main thing that many people fail to remember is that driving is not a right, but rather a privilege.   I have written previously about Missouri's voluntary reporting law .

 

An open letter to the lawmakers of this state, and the federal government.

A few days ago, my stepdaughter and her 20-month-old baby were sitting at a red light, when they were suddenly hit from behind by a car going full speed. Miraculously, and due to her buckling herself and the baby in, they weren't seriously injured. The man driving the other car didn't see her or the red light. She drives a Jeep Grand Cherokee, a car equal in size to what Dave Barry used to refer to as a "subdivision." His car, a small pickup truck, was demolished. I asked her if he was drunk. She said no, just "very, very old" (her words.)

Before I go on, I'd like to point out that in spite of how youthful I look in the picture (!), I will be 65 when I next renew my driver's license. It's high time that a law was enacted requiring anyone over 65 to take a short behind-the-wheel competency driving test in traffic. It wouldn't take more than 10 minutes, and it could save a life. I don't mean to say this in a demeaning way, and I will be first in line to do it. The circle of life moves on, we all age, and our comprehension and ability to react in stressful situations slows. There's nothing wrong with that, it's just the way things are. My stepdaughter's gas tank was severely smashed in the crash. Supposing it had erupted and blown up, burning up the baby? How could the man and his family live with that? Not to mention us.

People will say there is no money to finance such a program. Fine. Charge each person an extra $10 to get a renewal. If each test averages 20 minutes, including the walk to the car, that's $30 an hour, certainly enough to pay the wages of the person administering the test, and their benefits. Considering the cost of gas, car insurance, a meal or two out a week, anyone should be able to afford $10 every four years. If not, the person couldn't afford gas and wouldn't be driving anyway. Again, I will be first in line, with my $10, next time I renew.

This is such a no-brainer, I'm amazed it hasn't already been done. I moved here from California in 1983, and was flabbergasted at how easy it was to get a license in this state; even more amazed at how easy to renew. Just an eye exam, which I can easily pass without my glasses, even though I would never consider driving without them. No written test, nothing. Trust me, there are people out there driving who have no idea what the state laws are. Not that they didn't have a rudimentary knowledge of them once, they've just forgotten them. In California, you pass a 60-question test every time you renew, or you don't renew! And no one complains, it's just common sense.

Come on, lawmakers. Let's set a precedent for the rest of the country, and maybe Claire McCaskill and Kit Bond and all the other congressmen could get together and create the first sensible national driving law.

Already much is being done to stop reckless teenage driving; time to work on the other end of the cycle.

 If you or someone you love has been involved in a car crash accident involving an elderly driver or driver charged with reckless driving in the Springfield, Branson, Lebanon, Southwest Missouri Northwest Arkansas area, contact The Krebs Law Firm LLC for a free consultation to answer your questions regarding your injury claims.

 

 

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