Holiday Weekend Car Accidents in California?

It’s only Tuesday and I’ve already gotten a lot of calls about car accidents this weekend. If you were involved in a car accident over the long weekend, here is some basic advice:

Contact your insurance company in a timely manner. Most insurance policies require that you report a claim within a reasonable amount of time. I would suggest that not more than ten days is a good rule of thumb.
Don’t talk to anybody else about the accident, except your insurance company and your lawyer.
Get any medical treatment you need in a timely manner. If you are injured, go see a doctor. If not, that’s fine.
Go to a reputable body shop to get a car repair estimate. Your insurance company likely has a list of “approved” shops that they guarantee. Call one of them and schedule an appointment for a repair estimate.
If you were injured in the accident and the accident was not your fault, call a lawyer before you speak to anyone else about the accident. It does not have to be me, but it should be someone you trust, who has a lot of experience with injury cases.
If you have medical insurance, you can go to one of the medical providers covered by your insurance. If you don’t have insurance, or you can’t get treatment right away, talk to a lawyer about getting into a doctor or therapist sooner, rather than later. Delays in treatment can be damaging to your claim.
Take photos of everything. Take photos of your car, your injuries, and if you can, take photos of the scene of the accident. Were there skid marks? Was there damage to anything out on the road? If so, take lots of pictures.
Don’t make any recorded statements to anyone without your lawyer’s ok.
Don’t sign any documents without running them by your lawyer.
Don’t accept any settlements without talking to your lawyer first.

I just had a young woman call me on Friday to ask me to help her with her case. She told me the other driver’s insurance company was harassing her to settle the claim and convinced her to sign an release of liability in order to insure that her medical bills would get paid. Result: Her claim is over for many thousands of dollars less than it was worth. Call the lawyer first. Get paid more later.

If you or someone close to you has been involved in an accident or injured by the negligence or intentional actions of another person, call an experienced lawyer first in order to protect your rights. The insurance companies have large staffs of lawyers and paralegals working for them. You need to protect yourself. You need an advocate on your side.

Attorney Jeffrey Vallens (818) 783-5700 or (805) 230-3651

Email me: jv@4criminaldefense.com

www.4criminaldefense.com www.westlakecriminaldefense.com www.jeffreyvallens.com