Car Accident Attorney Dallas, Texas

Got into a car accident? Don’t handle it alone! Seek a lawyer for advice. It might sound expensive but the truth is you’ll save more money and achieve better results than you would without one.

Remember that getting injured because of a car crash due to other people’s negligence makes you entitled to compensation. Your insurance company’s goal is to reduce your claim’s value or dismiss it. To secure your claim, you need to get a lawyer to get the best legal options.

Attorneys can help you protect your claim from both the insurers and the lawyer of the opposing party. They help prevent them from discrediting your car-related injury. It ensures that you get the compensation you deserve especially if you have lasting injuries.

Filing an insurance claim is supposed to allow you to pay medical bills, make up for lost wages, and compensate you for other damages. But the wrong turn during the claims process could derail your chances of recovering a fair settlement – or even prevent you from recovering a settlement at all. Let Dallas car accident lawyer Julie Johnson file your claim and negotiate a settlement. And always avoid these common car accident claim mistakes that could damage your case.

Mistake 1: Giving the Insurance Adjuster a Recorded Statement

Some insurance adjusters are looking for any way to diminish your right to recovery, and that often starts with the recorded statement. The more you tell the insurance adjuster about how the accident happened and the injuries you suffered, the more fodder he or she has to use against you.

Stick to just telling them the facts; do not embellish or downplay your injuries, and do not give a statement on record until you talk to an attorney.

Mistake 2: Accepting the First Settlement Offer

Some insurance adjusters try to get you to accept a settlement even before you are able to see a doctor and realize the full extent of your injuries.

Some injuries, like a herniated disc for example, can cause long-term pain and may require more surgeries in the future to correct the injury. Other injuries, like the loss of a limb, will create a life-long need for assistive devices. Head trauma, meanwhile, may lead to brain damage, which could prevent you from working and could contribute to emotional disorders like depression.

Do not accept a settlement offer until you have a good idea of your prognosis and the damages you will experience in the short- as well as long-term. Work with your doctor and attorney to determine your prognosis and account for all of your damages.

Mistake 3: Ignoring Symptoms or Procrastinating Doctor Visits

A lot of accident victims say they feel fine at the scene and refuse medical treatment. This is a mistake. Some symptoms do not show up for a few days and even when they do show, some people do not think they are anything to worry about.

A doctor should always evaluate you after a car accident, even if you feel okay. For one, accepting a settlement offer could prevent you from reopening the claim, so make sure you get a full medical evaluation. And do so in a timely manner – if you wait too long, the insurance adjuster might argue your injuries are not serious or that they are unrelated to the accident.

So if you have not yet seen a doctor, do so immediately.

Mistake 4: Not Keeping Up With Medical Appointments

Make sure you follow up with your doctor, keep your appointments, and follow all of the doctor’s orders. The insurance company can use your failure to do so as evidence that your injuries are not as serious as you claim. Or the adjuster might argue that your failure to tend to your recovery worsened the injuries.

Mistake 5: Not Seeking Legal Help

If you suffered an injury in your car accident, hire an attorney. Do not risk dealing with the insurance adjuster yourself. Work with the Law Offices of Julie Johnson for help with every step of your claim, including:

• Filing your claim
• Collecting and preserving evidence
• Evaluating and demanding damages
• Negotiating a settlement
• Litigating in court, if necessary

Uber and other rideshare drivers have to carry liability insurance just like any other motorist on Texas roads. In addition to the driver’s policy, the rideshare company also provides each driver with an insurance policy that covers property damage as well as bodily injuries to riders and other victims. However, whose insurance pays after an accident in an Uber car is not always clear.

Who pays if I am at fault?

As with other accidents, if you are at fault, your insurance company is responsible for compensation. The state of Texas requires that you carry a minimum amount of liability insurance, including:

• $30,000 for each person hurt, up to $60,000 per accident
• $25,000 coverage for property damage

When you are at fault in an accident with an Uber driver, your liability insurance policy will payout to the driver to cover the damage to his car, as well as any personal injuries or injuries to passengers.

If you have a collision policy, your insurance company will also cover damage to your car, although you will most likely have to pay a deductible.

Who pays if the Uber driver was at fault?

If the at-fault party in the accident drives for Uber but was not logged onto the app at the time of the accident, the driver’s personal insurance will cover your damage just like in any other car accident. Like any other driver in a personal car, he is responsible for having the state minimum liability insurance to pay for repairs to your vehicle and any personal injuries you suffer.

If he is working, he has both his personal policy as well as the larger policy Uber provides to protect both other drivers and the riders who use the service. In most accidents, Uber’s insurance policy is primary while the driver’s insurance policy serves as the secondary coverage, according to Uber’s website.

Many motorists who are involved in an accident with an Uber driver quickly learn that there is no hard and fast rule regarding which insurance company has to take responsibility. This is especially true when the Uber driver has logged onto the app but has not picked up a rider.