Car Accident Advice...

[Duff McCartney]

Okay so I was in an accident last thursday. I was in the lane to turn left on New Guilbeau from 1604. The light turned yellow and the car in front of me stopped. Then I stopped and then I got rear ended by another car and was pushed into the car in front of me.

I've got all the insurance worked out because it wasn't my fault and the other guy is paying for everything with his insurance.

Today while at school I received at least four calls from companies telling me I could get money from the insurance companies due to any injuries I incured. The only injury I really had was my neck was super sore the next two days and I couldn't turn my head, but now it feels almost 100 percent with very little soreness when I tilt my head back.

One of the companies told me to schedule an appointment with a doctor they had and I asked if I could call them back. I didn't really know what to do since I did have pain but didn't know if I would be in a prolonged legal battle with the insurance company. Tomorrow I've got an appointment with the insurance adjuster so he can see my car and the damages and all that.

Should I talk to him about money they can offer me or should I listen to those companies? Anyone know about this sort of thing? Will they give me enough to make it worth my time? I'm sure the companies that called me are waiting to get their cut so that's why I told them I'd just call them back.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[phyzik]

Okay so I was in an accident last thursday. I was in the lane to turn left on New Guilbeau from 1604. The light turned yellow and the car in front of me stopped. Then I stopped and then I got rear ended by another car and was pushed into the car in front of me.

I've got all the insurance worked out because it wasn't my fault and the other guy is paying for everything with his insurance.

Today while at school I received at least four calls from companies telling me I could get money from the insurance companies due to any injuries I incured. The only injury I really had was my neck was super sore the next two days and I couldn't turn my head, but now it feels almost 100 percent with very little soreness when I tilt my head back.

One of the companies told me to schedule an appointment with a doctor they had and I asked if I could call them back. I didn't really know what to do since I did have pain but didn't know if I would be in a prolonged legal battle with the insurance company. Tomorrow I've got an appointment with the insurance adjuster so he can see my car and the damages and all that.

Should I talk to him about money they can offer me or should I listen to those companies? Anyone know about this sort of thing? Will they give me enough to make it worth my time? I'm sure the companies that called me are waiting to get their cut so that's why I told them I'd just call them back.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Im no expert and Im just saying what I would do...

If its on the dime of the companies who called you to at least get checked out by a doctor, it wouldnt hurt. you may feel fine but there might be something there. If they find nothing, at least you know your OK and it was nothing out of your pocket.

If they want you to get checked by a doctor and its out of your pocket, I would probably not go unless it was a relatively small fee and I was concerned with the injury.


The thing to remember is they are probably just looking for an excuse to line their pockets either way. If you get something out of it? what the ? Its the ing evil insurance companies that are paying, not the person that hit you.... at least not paying directly. Their monthly insurance rate may increase by 20 bucks or so... them, they hit you.

[ashbeeigh]

A lot of those kinds of things are scams. I can't remember what channel I saw it on, but it looked pretty shady. Google the people that called you just to make sure they aren't trying to take advantage of you and the other guy.

[symple19]

find an ambulance chaser to lawyer up with, go see a Doctor, throw on a neck brace, and ream the guy(and his insurance company) for everything you can.

It's the American way

[Dex]

I'm not a lawyer or anything, but recently had to settle on an accident myself.

It sounds like the people who are calling you are just ambulance chasers who are trying to get you to buck the system. Personally, I would recommend avoiding them: they are going to try to get you a maximum payout (because they'll be taking a percentage of it), but I would expect a legal battle.

If it is indeed being covered by the other drivers insurance, then you should be contacted by them soon if you haven't been already. If not, call them and ask for a claim number, and inform them that you will be seeing a doctor for injuries related to the accident. Typically you'll be talking to some claims agent who processes dozens of these things at a time, so I wouldn't expect much hassle then.

GO TO THE DOCTOR. You can't get medical treatment or seek compensation for your injuries unless you have the medical reports to back it up, and the longer you wait, the stranger it seems. Save every medical bill and receipt, diagnosis, and piece of do entation to provide to the insurance companies later. Turn them in promptly so that they can pay them. At the very least, you deserve to be compensated for making sure you are still healthy.

Beyond medical bills, they should probably also be responsible for a rental car if your vehicle is incapacitated. I would definitely ask their insurance company about that.

Then there is the whole pain and suffering thing, but that's much more of a gray area. It really depends on the situation, the total amount of your medical bills and lost wages, and other factors like negligence of the third party or unseen expenses due to the accident.

This is where the lawyer is going to know how to play the legal cards, but they'll also go for the throat. That's what they are trained to do. You may be better off handling the legal issues yourself and asking for a reasonable settlement if you are comfortable doing so. If not, seeking legal counsel may be worth the money, but ultimately they'll want some of what you get back.

[Frenzy]

I'd go with what phyzik posted.

[Twisted_Dawg]

I was a claims adjuster for years and know this inside out. The companies calling you find and refer people in accidents to doctors, chirops and lawyers.

If you had what we call a low impact accident ( not a lot of damage), the other insurance company will fight tooth and nail on paying any sizeable damages.

If your neck was sore, it is not a bad idea to go to a doctor. Even without a medical bill, if you did have some damage and had a sore neck or back, most insurance companies will pay a nominal sum of say $500 to get you to sign a release. If you had gone to the doctor a couple of times, had some x-rays and some meds, and say had $500 in medical bills, the insurance company probably wouold have paid you around $1000-$1250. If you do not have medical insurance your own auto policy probably has some coverage called PIP or med pay that pays bills.

Bottom line: be thankful you were not seriously injured. If you want to play the game with those groups that solicit claims, they will send you all over town getting CAT scans, MRI's, PT, etc. Then when it comes time to settle, all those bills will need to be paid form the settlement, they will subtract their "admin charges", then take thier 40% retainer, leaving you with not much money and wondering why the you wasted 6 months making doctor appointments, etc.

Hope this helps. PM me if you want any more advice.

[ashbeeigh]

use half of it to pay ashbeeigh to google lawyers and doctors for you while she's on the internet anyway hunting for jobs.

this.

[TDMVPDPOY]

this is how it works

the guy that hits you from behind is negligent, he will cover ur damages if he has insurance,

while the car behind the guy that hit you will have to pay out also if he hit that persons car behind you, thats how the insurance company works...the middle guy aint covering for the person in front and back....

you trying to work the system, i think thats how it is in america anyway, that you only got rear ended at the traffic lights how can you sustain a neck injury if that guy wasnt accelerating hard into your car.

[CubanMustGo]

Def get your neck checked out. I had a low-speed ten years ago and my neck hasn't been right since. Like yours, it was initially pretty sore, got better fast, but symptoms developed about a year later.

[SpursNextRomanEmpire]

Seems damn shady to me

[PM5K]

I think one way or another you should see a doctor, even if you have to pay for it out of pocket.

You aren't a doctor and the neck and back are two things you don't want to mess with. Injuries to those two areas can often times come back in the future when you do something as simple as reaching for something above you.

[2Blonde]

There is nothing wrong w/getting your neck checked out if you are still hurting, but to hire one of those shyster lawyers is BS. People always seem to be looking for the quick buck. We got calls & letters after my daughter's accident & I got so pissed I told one guy how disgusting I thought it was for him to be seeking out minors with promises of money if they sue. Hasn't anyone ever heard of integrity. I get tired of seeing people who are "sue happy". We all get bumps and bruises from life, so we should deal with them like the grownups we say we are.