FERRARA LAW OFFICES, P.C.
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Vehicle Collisions
Millions of people suffer injuries or death as the result of automobile accidents. Ferrara Law offices represents victims in cases involving automobile, motorcycle and truck accidents. These cases range from accidents involving modest injuries to those in which death and catastrophic injuries are the result. If you or someone you know was killed or seriously injured in a car, motorcycle or truck accident, Ferrara Law Offices for a free consultation.
Ferrara Law offices not only has the experience and resources victims need to determine who was at fault in a vehicle collision case, but also the knowledge of how to prosecute a case with sophisticated damages.
Many victims of vehicle collisions have injuries and damages beyond mere pain and suffering. Economic damages such as past and future medical bills, wage loss and loss of earning capacity are damages which must be explored in protecting the rights of a victim of an automobile collisions case.
What to do in case of an
accident:
- Stop your car, no matter how minor you may think the accident is.
- Assist any injured person in the automobile collision by calling for an ambulance. Unless you have specific medical or EMS training, you should not move an injured person.
- Call the police.
- Identify the driver or drivers of the automobiles involved in the automobile collision. Be certain that you get the other driver's address, telephone number, and insurance information. Write down the license plate numbers of the other vehicles.
- Identify any witnesses to the automobile accident. As soon as possible, get the names, addresses, and/or phone numbers from any witnesses to the accident. Many times witnesses will stop at the scene to see if they can be of assistance. However, they have a tendency to leave the accident scene without leaving their names or phone numbers. These witnesses may be critical to your claim and obtaining their identity would be very helpful in the event that legal action is taken.
- Protect the scene, if it is safe to do so. You are usually best off not moving the vehicles until the police have arrived. In this regard, use common sense.
- Cooperate with the police at the scene of the accident. Speak to the police officer about the accident. Answer questions posed by a police officer honestly and concisely.
- Listen carefully while at the scene of the accident. Listen to anything and everything that the other drivers or witnesses say. What they say can be of information to you, might help you ultimately in any lawsuit and if they admit they are at fault to the accident in words such as "they did not see you," "they were driving too fast," or just a simple apology for being at fault, make sure you make a written notation of that as soon as practically possible.
- If you have not been taken from the scene of the accident by ambulance, immediately go to the emergency room or your physician if you feel something unusual. Doctors may recognize your complaints as a symptom of a more serious problem.
- Photographs of the damage to vehicles are very important. If possible, have someone from your family take photographs of your automobile and the areas of damage to your car. Take photographs from a number of different angles, close up, and from a distance. If possible, take photos of the accident scene. As soon as practical, you should go back to the accident scene and take photographs if traffic conditions make it safe to do so. Be sure to include landmarks such as signs or buildings so that it can easily discern what the pictures show later. If there are skid marks, damages to trees or shrubberies, or if there are any parts of the car that are still left on the ground, take photographs of all of these areas.
- Take photographs of the other driver's car. Most of the time, the police accident report will identify the destination to which both cars have been towed. If both cars have been towed and if they are at a certain body and fender shop or towing shop, take photographs of the automobiles, if possible.
- Report the automobile accident to your insurance company. Call your insurance company about the accident even if you think the other driver is at fault. In order to protect your rights to insurance coverage, your insurance company is entitled to be notified by you of the accident, about the extent of injuries to you or your passengers, and the damage to the automobile. It may be advisable that you speak with an attorney before you provide your insurance company with recorded statements or written statements. In any event, please know that you have a duty to notify your insurance company.
- Never give a recorded statement to the insurance company that insures the other driver's automobile. No recorded statement to employees, representatives, investigators for the insurance company that insures the car that collided with you.
- Consult an attorney as soon as possible.