Ron Kramer is an attorney who has worked with many accident victims.
and he helps people negotiate the pitfalls.
The Seven Most Important Things To Do:
1. Make sure the police have done a report. If you haven’t, and it
hasn’t been that long (2-3 days) call them and have them do one.
2. Get medical treatment if you haven’t done so already. If you have
auto insurance or live with someone that does, you should have at
least $3k for med treatment. If you have been to the ER and
released, you should follow up with your own doctor. You can also
“self-refer” to a chiropractor if you have neck or back injuries.
If your injuries are more severe, you should see a
specialist, either by referral from your own doctor or by setting an appointment yourself.
3. Document the crash with photos, especially in more moderate to
severe crashes. This is not as important if you have a bumper scuff.
4. Inform your insurance carrier of the crash. They will have forms
that they will send you that you should fill out to qualify for
benefits, including at least $3k in medical benefits, lost wages up
to $250 per week for one year, and “household services” benefits of
up to $20 per day for one year.
5. Continue your treatment and be compliant with all the
doctor/therapist wants you to do. If you have to miss an appointment, make
sure you have a good reason and you give your doctor/therapist advanced
notice of this.
6. Insurance statements. There is no law that says you have to give one.
The danger with these is that the insurance person may ask questions
to get information that they can later use against you. If you do
give a statement, stick to describing how the crash happened, e.g.
“I was at a stop and this car rear ended me.” You have to be really
careful if you could be blamed in any way for the crash because they
could try and elicit confessions out of you. The same thing applies with
describing where you were injured. Suppose your back is hurting
really bad and they ask you to tell them everywhere it hurts. So you
tell them about your back but can’t at that point appreciate a shoulder injury you also sustained.
Later, they will say that you’re shoulder injury is not related because
you didn’t mention it to them. This is why there is a rule in Utah
that says if the statement is taken within 15 days of the accident,
they can’t use it against you unless they gave you a copy of it and
gave you a chance to make corrections.
7. Be honest. Be honest to your doctors: don’t try and exaggerate
(or minimize) your injuries.
For more information, you can contact Ron at www.ronkramerlaw.com or at 1(800) LAWYERS. To get a copy of Ron’s book, The Utah Accident Guide, visit his website and request a free copy.
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