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In 1896, there were only four automobiles
registered in all of the United States.
Two of them ran into each other in St. Louis.
MEMORIES FADE AND A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS:
It is of the utmost importance that you contact us as soon
after the injury as possible so that we may document your
injuries, personally view and photograph the scene of the
accident, photograph the equipment and vehicles involved,
obtain witness statements, interview police officers and gather
other relevant data while it is still fresh.
OUR FIRST MEETING:
At our first meeting, you will be interviewed by one of
our attorney’s - NOT by a paralegal or legal assistant.
At this meeting, we will collect as much information as possible
from you about the accident or other events surrounding your
injury. If available, we ask that you bring a copy of any
related police reports, your insurance information, the insurance
information of the other party/parties involved, names and
phone numbers of witnesses, damage appraisals, and any other
documentation you may have. You will also be asked to sign
authorizations so that we may obtain work, school, financial
and medical information, which may be used to further your
claim.
AFTER ALL, IT IS YOUR CLAIM:
We will make every effort to stay in contact with you on
a regular basis, to keep you updated on the status of your
claim.
You will receive copies of all correspondence received or
mailed out by our office, so that your personal file at home
will be an exact duplicate of your file in our office. If
at any time you have a questions concerning your claim, you
can call our office and one of our attorney’s will be glad
to speak with you.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO MAXIMIZE THE VALUE OF YOUR CLAIM:
We encourage you to keep a journal of all appointments with
doctors, physiotherapists, chiropractors, psychologists, etc...
and to diarize your symptoms, limitations, names of people
you have spoken with about your accident and injuries, expenses,
and anything you else you feel is worthy of noting. This information
could prove to be very valuable to your claim.
DAMAGES YOU MAY BE ENTITLED TO:
- Past pain, suffering and disability
- Past medical expenses
- Past wage loss
- Future pain, suffering and disability
- Future medical expenses
- Future loss of earning
FLORIDA PERSONAL INJURY PROTECTION (PIP):
If you are in an automobile accident in Florida and have
Florida no-fault coverage, you may have (1) a PIP claim against
your own insurance company, regardless of fault, (2) a property
damage claim against the other driver’s property damage liability
insurance coverage if the other driver is at fault, and/or
(3) a bodily injury claim against the other driver’s bodily
injury liability insurance coverage if the other driver is
at fault and you are injured.
If you are a resident of Florida and own a motor vehicle,
you are required to purchase PIP insurance. Your PIP policy
provides the following coverage:
- 80% of medical benefits for all reasonable expenses for
necessary medical, surgical, x-ray, dental and rehabilitative
services (including necessary travel related to medical
care)
- 80% of necessary ambulance, hospital and nursing services
- 80% of necessary remedial services (nursing home care
or home nursing care)
- 60% of disability benefits for any loss of gross income
and loss of earning capacity from inability to work due
to injury suffered in the accident
- All expenses reasonably incurred for household services
that, if not for the injury, the injured person would have
performed (i.e.: house cleaning, yard work, etc.)
SETTLEMENT PROPOSAL:
As soon as all necessary information is obtained, we will
thoroughly evaluate your case, arrive at a settlement figure
that we feel is fair and appropriate, and discuss the evaluation
and settlement with you. We will then submit our agreed upon
settlement proposal to the appropriate person and will negotiate
the best possible settlement for you.
If a settlement cannot be reached, we will discuss with
you the advisability of filing a law suit.
PREPARING FOR TRIAL:
Once the lawsuit has been started, both sides will have
the right to obtain information about the case through methods
such as interrogatories (written questions which must be answered
under oath), depositions (asking oral questions), and requesting
documents such as income tax returns, pay stubs, insurance
policies, damage estimates, etc.
PATIENCE, PLEASE:
Please note that your case cannot be properly settled until
all damages have been determined and all investigations have
been completed. This process can take from several weeks to
several months. If a trial becomes necessary, it could take
more than a year to see your case to completion.
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