"Having been involved in a catastrophic car wreck myself only a few years ago, I know exactly what’s it like to be laid up in a hospital for days, not be able to work or do normal daily activities for months at a time, and stuck wondering how you’ll pay for a new car or your medical bills. I know the aggravation and frustration that my clients face because they can’t drive, require medical treatment, or simply hate waking up in the morning b/c they’re sore and in pain. It’s because of this first-hand knowledge that I can relate to my clients on a personal level, represent them efficiently, and get them the money that they deserve. That is what motivates me to go to work every day and fight for my clients against big insurance companies designed to take advantage of normal, everyday, hardworking people.”
-Tommy Badeaux
Got In a Car Wreck - What Now?
So you’re involved in a car wreck? You’ve got so many questions and concerns and don’t know where to turn. You constantly see TV commercials and hear radio ads with firms promising you big money results, but you don’t know if you really need a lawyer or have reservations about hiring one to represent you.
Where do you go from here?
Luckily, I am here to lay it all out for you as I have been through the process as both an injured party myself and as a lawyer who's helped hundreds of people facing the same issues.
Personal Injuries can cause a great deal of stress and worry not only the victims but their families as well. When you seek out a lawyer, you should expect them to alleviate some of the pressures and tolls on your life by handling your injury claim for you. When you are hurt due to the fault of another, you should seek out an aggressive and experienced lawyer on your side to help you reclaim the losses of your everyday life. You should want someone who is determined to get the best possible settlement for their clients and will fight for every dollar to ensure that your property damages, medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering are all taken care of and/or compensated.
TOP 7 Things You Should Do If Injured In A Car Wreck
1. Call Police
First off, call the police department and let them send out a unit to investigate the crash. Most times, police officers are highly skilled in recreating the scene of the wreck and they will often issue tickets to the liable party. This will not only help to establish liability for who’s at fault but could also go a long way in supporting your injury claim and getting your car repaired/replaced quicker.
2. Contact Personal Injury Attorney
Next up, you should contact a knowledgeable personal injury attorney to advise you in the best ways to protect yourself and your injury claim immediately from the start. Often times, the other party or their representatives may come to the scene and try to avoid you calling the police or insurance companies to report accidents. They may promise you they will “take care of all this” or “make things right” if you hold off on alerting the proper authorities by offering you a quick settlement. This process, often called a "rush-release" is only setting you up to get burned in the long run and take an amount that is FAR LESS than fair compensation for your property and bodily injury claims. Once you take the bait and sign this release for this small sum, you are forever barred from collecting anything else as a result of the collision
3. Document, Document, Document
Try your best to document the accident as best as you can. Make sure to get the other parties insurance information, vehicle registration, license plate, and driver’s license. If possible, take pictures of the accident, damage to the vehicles, and any injuries to yourself or passengers. You can even try to draw a sketch of what occurred to better help police or your lawyer understand the wreck more clearly. Documents such as these can become very valuable and serve as evidence that could be used to help your claim.
4. DO NOT Admit Fault
DO NOT admit any fault in relation to a wreck or injury. Never suggest to anyone such as the police or an insurance agency that the wreck or incident could have been your fault. Should you ever feel pressured or forced into making a statement, your attorney will be able to speak for you or at least be there to prevent adjusters or investigators from trying to trick you.
5. Get Witnesses
If you are able to, secure the names and information of any witnesses to the car wreck. These witnesses will usually be interviewed by police during the investigation, but don’t take any chances. If someone saw the incident, make sure that you have their information in case there is a liability dispute, or the police report is incomplete. Often witnesses to an automobile collision can make or break an injury case that you may have.
6. Seek Medical Attention
Always seek competent medical attention immediately if you’ve been hurt. It’s important that you take care of yourself and do everything you can to speed your recovery. Don’t wait because every day that passes without treatment could impact your injury claim. Please note, that not all injuries require EMS or being transported to a hospital by an ambulance. If you don’t feel that your injuries aren’t catastrophic or life-threatening, make sure to tell the police officer that you are hurt, but won’t require an ambulance. Don’t simply deny the fact that you are injured just to avoid those ambulance transport bills. You can always get someone to drive you to a medical facility after the car crash to be examined by medical professionals. Think twice before you simply tell an officer or EMT "I'm not injured."
7. Notify Your Auto Insurance but DON'T talk to theirs
Lastly, you should place a call to your own auto insurance carrier to notify them that you have been involved in a motor vehicle collision. You'll do this not only to make them aware of a possible uninsured motorist claim but especially in claims involving multiple vehicles or injured parties, going through your own insurance may help ease some of the burdens of getting your property damage claim handled. All too often, an at-fault driver's insurance will conduct unnecessary and lengthy investigations until they finally accept liability. If you are fortunate enough to have your policy with key provisions, you can simply file a claim through your own carrier and this can speed up the process of getting you in a rental and your vehicle repaired or replaced. Also, you should refrain from talking to any other parties' insurance to ensure that you don't say anything incriminating or give too much info that could affect your own claim.
How We Can Help You
Tommy J. Badeaux is a motivated and experienced personal injury attorney who will represent you to the full extent in legal proceedings against big insurance companies to ensure you get fair compensation for your injuries. All of our client's claims are investigated thoroughly so that each case’s strengths and weaknesses are clearly defined, allowing sufficient time to develop all possible theories of liability and recovery. Tommy and his staff work with each and every client, explaining what is happening and why things occur throughout the entire process so that you are better able to make fully-informed decisions regarding your case. It is the firm’s sole mission to recoup the maximum recovery for its clients but also to do it in a way that alleviates stress and makes the entire situation easier for them. Though clients are very much involved in the process, it is our office who takes on the burden of a successful resolution. It is his goal to make all of your problems become our problems so that you aren't under any additional stress and can focus solely on your treatment and getting better.
Tommy will advise you on the best way to handle your claim from the beginning, help you seek proper medical treatment for your injuries, hire any necessary experts, and represent you aggressively throughout settlement. Rest assured, our firm is here to help you with your claim. We understand firsthand how hard it is to be injured due to the fault of another, be burdened with medical expenses and face uncertainty due to monetary difficulties. Tommy's own experience in personal injury cases allows our firm to know all the tricks that insurance companies deploy to keep them from paying out a fair amount in settlement. We will work tirelessly to help our clients get the compensation they deserve for their injuries and entitled damages. The Law Offices of Tommy J. Badeaux works only in the best interest of the client and our goal is to always maximize recovery for them.
If you’ve been injured in a car wreck, #BetterCallBadeaux at (504) 323-7777 or (985) 303-7777 or click HERE to fill out our online consult form to set up your FREE consultation and discuss what rights/remedies you may be entitled to.