Car accidents are scary events. Tires screeching; metal slamming into metal; and the potential for serious injuries. Everyone hopes they will never be in a car accident. However, the unexpected can happen. If you are involved in a car accident here are some vital tips to help that might help you through the tramtic event:

1) Emergency Personnel: Call emergency personnel as soon as possible. Do not think the other driver will call or assume an onlooker will dial 911. You should take the initiative. If you or the other driver are injured, obviously, dialing 911 will alert authorities to bring an ambulance. However, even if you are not injured call 911 to alert the police. You want a police report for potential liability disputes down the road. Even if it is a minor collision you should insist on calling the police and waiting for the police to arrive.

2) Documentation: Take pictures; take a video; talk to the other driver; look if there are cameras in the stores/street around you; get witnesses names and phone numbers. It is very important to document the accident with as many details as possible. Documentation is important because the facts surrounding the accident can become in dispute down the road. You want to do everything you can to create a record of the accident.

3) Get a Lawyer: If you are injured in an accident you should get a lawyer. After a car accident it is very common to have lingering pain that does not seem severe – at first – but just does not go away. While this could just be symptoms of mild sprain and strain this can also be signs of a more severe/permanent condition. Medical attention is your first priority but afterwards you should seek legal representation. Do not give a recorded statement to the insurance company. Do not wait and hope the pain will disappear. Contact an experience accident lawyer who will help you take the appropriate steps.

4)Go to Therapy: If you have been injured in a car accident and a medical professional has advised you to treat at a physical therapy facility – it is very important that you do not miss appointment. Your physical therapy regiment is designed to help ease the pain and missing appointment may prolong your injuries and prevent you from full recovery. It is vital you make your appointments to help you recover from your car accident injuries.

5)Social Media: Do not post about your car accident on social media. In litigation it is routine for attorneys to search social media for information about the litigants. I always tell my clients to make sure they’re Facebook is private; their Instagram is private; their Twitter is private. You should review any and all social media account settings and make sure only your friends/followers can view your account.

This list represents some of the most important steps you should take after a car accident. I hope you never have to go through the dramatic event of a car collision; however, if you do follow these steps to ensure you make the best of the situation.

After you are involved in a car accident you have a lot on your mind. Checking for injuries; getting the driver’s information; checking your car for damage; and moving to the side of the road are just some of the many issues that make a car accident a stressful situation. That is why one of the last things you want to do after a car accident is answer a bunch of questions about how the accident happened. Unfortunately, that is exactly what insurance companies can request – a recorded statement right after the accident happens. A recorded statement is just what it sounds like, you giving a statement about the accident to the insurance company that is recorded. They are usually done over the phone. The insurance company must get your permission before starting a recorded statement. And, the insurance company will usually ask you a bunch of questions about the accident and/or your injuries.

However, there are many problems with recorded statements practice. One of the biggest problems is that an accident attorney does not represent you when you give the statement. You need an accident attorney to prepare you for the questions. You need an accident attorney to help you understand why the insurance company is asking you certain questions. You need an accident attorney to protect your interests against the insurance companies. The insurance company questions may seem harmless, but the recorded statement could elicit responses that helps deny your claim. Additionally, the answers you give during the recorded statement can be used against you if end up getting a lawyer and suing the other driver. That why it is so important that you speak with an accident lawyer before you give a recorded statement.

If you were involved in a car accident and believe you may have given a recorded statement call us now to discuss your case further. Speak with an excellent Philly Accident Attorney and get the insight you need to get the most value out of your car accident claim.

As a Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyer I speak with clients who have limited tort insurance all the time. Unfortunately, for many clients the first time they hear the phrase “limited tort” is speaking with they Philly car crash attorney. People should not learn, for the first time, that they have limited tort insurance from their Philly Car Crash attorney; however, that is often the case.

The problem is when people select their insurance they don’t know the difference between full coverage and limited tort. Car insurance agents often do not even explain the difference. So you end up paying a lot of money every month for protection if your car gets stolen or reimbursement for property damage. But when you are in a car accident and you hire a lawyer to recovering money you are stuck with limited tort.

So what it is limited tort and how is if different than full tort? Full tort car insurance means you are entitled to recover non economic damages in a motor vehicle lawsuit. The most critical non economic damage is pain and suffering. If you have full tort you are allowed to ge money because you were hurt. The insurance company will pay you for the value they place on your injuries. For example, if you have full tort and you hurt your back – the car insurance company could pay you money for the pain to your back. How much money depends on how severely your back was injured and a lot of other factors that a great Philadelphia car accident lawyer can tell you.

Conversely, limited tort car insurance prevents you from recovering non economic damages unless you sustained a serious injury (or one of the other exceptions to limited tort). Using our previous example, the back injury that the insurance company would pay you out for if you had full tort would pay you no money for your pain and suffering if you had limited tort (again, unless you qualify for an exception). If you have limited tort car insurance you are not entitled to recovery for pain and suffering. However, there are exceptions to limited tort. As a car accident attorney I am skilled at evaluating limited tort cases and getting my clients top dollar. For an in-depth discussion on the exceptions to limited tort and how you can still get paid on a car crash case see my next blog post.

Today, I am discussing limited tort lawyers. Specifically, I am going to explain what is limited tort, what are the exceptions, and why you need a qualified limited tort lawyer to handle your car accident case.

As I explained in my previous blog post, your “tort status” depends on the type of car insurance you purchased. There are two general types of care insurance – full tort and limited tort. If you purchased full tort you likely spent more money than someone who selected limited tort insurance. Which is probably why, most car drivers I encounter have limited tort. However, the tradeoff of purchasing the cheaper policy is that you are prohibited from suing for pain and suffering in the event of a car accident.

In short, if you buy the cheaper car insurance (limited tort insurance) and you are in a car accident you cannot just say “I hurt my back” and expect to get paid by the insurance company. The reason is because when you get limited tort you are agreeing with the insurance company that I will pay less money for car insurance and in exchange I am not allowed to get money for non economic damages (pain and suffering) in a car accident – unless an exception applies.
If an exception applies a skilled limited tort lawyer knows how to apply the exception to the facts of your case.

At this point you might be wondering what are the exceptions to limited tort? In what situations will I be allowed to recover for pain and suffering even though I selected the limited tort insurance option? There are six general exceptions to limited tort: riding a motorcycle, commercial vehicle, driving while intoxicated, pedestrian, out-of-state plates, and a serious injury.

Each exception involves quite a bit of discussion but in short the following is true of each exception. By way of overview, here is synopsis of each exception. If you are in an accident on your motorcycle you are considered full tort. If you are a passenger in a commercial vehicle (like septa, taxi, or megabus) you are considered full tort. If you are in an accident and the other vehicle was driven by someone who is intoxicated you are considered full tort. If you are a pedestrian and struck by a car you are considered full tort. If you are struck by an out-of-state vehicle you are considered full tort. If you are seriously injured in a car accident you are considered full tort.

Finding a lawyer who knows how to evaluate a limited tort case is a critical step in obtaining maximum compensation for your injuries. There are many lawyers that do car accident cases. Not all of the lawyers get you the most possible money. Knowing the facts about limited tort car insurance will help you talk to a lawyer. Once you have the knowledge, insight and understanding you can evaluate the attorney to see if they are the limited tort lawyer for you.