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National City Car Accident Lawyer’s Top Ten Reasons to Have Your Head Looked at After an Auto Accident

1. You decide to become a professional golfer, just as soon as you learn how the game is played.

 

2. You decide to become a meerkat.

 

3. You think the Republican party is never wrong.

 

4. You wonder why you can’t fly.

 

5. You look at the moon and feel you were there once.

 

6. You’d like to speak to the trees but haven’t learned their language.

 

7. You just discover television.

 

8. You keep counting your toes, sure that you are missing one.

 

9. You wonder why your fingernails keep growing.

 

10. You get mad at the dust in your home.

 

Now here are ten useful tips of advice from a car accident lawyer to follow if you have been in an accident. You can also learn more about how to handle a car accident in National City, or any city, by calling the Law Offices of R. Sebastian Gibson at any of the numbers which can be found on our website at http://www.SebastianGibsonLaw.com  and learning how we can assist you.

 

Obviously, if you have had an accident, and you are reading all of this advice, it’s probably been at least a few days since the accident. However, if it’s only been a few hours or if you ever have another accident, here’s what you should do the next time from the start.

 

First, take a look around and determine if you or anyone, are hurt. If so, taking steps like trying to prevent further injury or loss of blood are the most important thing you can do. Even if some other driver caused you to be injured, it’s just good manners to help the other driver if they are hurt. They may even be so thankful that they admit their fault to you. The worst thing you can do is get angry or start a fight.

 

Second, make sure everyone is safe from being injured further. If you are in the middle of traffic, and you are dizzy, sit down away from traffic. If your vehicle is a traffic hazard and you have accident warning devices like flares or triangles, put them out on the road to warn other drivers and get away from the car. Let the police an other emergency personnel investigate the scene with the vehicles in place and move them more safely at a later point.

 

Third, call the police. Accident reports are extremely helpful if the police will do such a report. Let the police know you are injured immediately. Answer the police questions honestly. But if you are dazed or confused, let them know you need medical treatment and answer only what you feel sure about. Remember, your statements can and will be used against you if you admit fault, and it will be too late and too fishy to later say you didn’t know what you were saying at the scene. Police know that your best recollection is immediately after an accident.

 

Fourth, get the other driver’s information including their names, addresses, driver’s license numbers, make and model of their vehicles, license plate numbers, and their insurance company name and policy number. If there are witnesses, get their names, addresses and telephone numbers as well. If the other driver makes any admissions of fault, write those down as well.

 

Fifth, if you have a camera on your cell phone or in the car and you aren’t too injured, take some photos of the vehicles and the scene. If you can’t do it right away, do it after you are released from the hospital.

Sixth, if you are hurt, obtain medical treatment. Don’t decline the ambulance or hospital examination to save your insurance company money or to be stoic. Take your valuables out of your car if you can and get checked out at the hospital. If you are not hurt, don’t get treatment you don’t need. However, remember, after an accident, you may feel a rush of adrenaline that causes you to only start feeling symptoms of pain a few hours later. If you have a health plan that requires you to obtain permission first, call them and find out where you are allowed to seek treatment.

 

Seventh, call a good car accident lawyer as soon as you have had your initial treatment, so the attorney can gather other important evidence and prevent the insurance company from taking advantage of you and obtaining such things as recorded statements that you feel fine, when many of your symptoms have yet to manifest themselves. A good car accident lawyer can save you from making a great deal of mistakes and can shoulder much of the hassle of knowing what to do about car repairs, car rentals, medical treatment, witness statements and the like. If you think you will save money by not having an attorney, think again. A good car accident lawyer can almost always obtain much higher settlements, obtain reductions of medical bills and insurance liens and prevent you from making costly mistakes. Also, most car accident attorneys advance costs of obtaining police reports, medical records and the like and are paid and reimbursed for these costs only out of any settlement.

 

Eight, you will need to report the accident to your insurance company, but since they will want to take a recorded statement from you, just like any other driver’s insurance company, it’s good advice to retain an attorney first. And if the other driver did not have insurance, remember that it is your own insurance company that will be your adversary. You will also need to report the accident to the Department of Motor Vehicles and your lawyer can give you the form for this.

 

Ninth, do not agree to settle your claim privately with the person at fault for the accident. This almost never works out to your advantage. Don’t agree not to call the police. Police reports that determine the fault for an accident are golden. Your agreement to not involve the police only affords an opportunity for the other driver to change his story and blame you when the police will no longer investigate the accident.

 

Tenth, don’t pay a traffic ticket without a fight if you weren’t at fault or agree to accept a small payment for your vehicle repairs without knowing that the amount will in fact cover the cost of all the repairs.

 

If you’ve had a car accident in National City, Lemon Grove, Imperial Beach, Coronado, Spring Valley, San Diego, La Mesa, National City, Carlsbad, Oceanside, La Jolla, Del Mar, Escondido, Chula Vista, El Cajon, Vista, San Marcos, or anywhere in Southern California, we have the knowledge and resources to be your San Diego Car Accident Lawyer and your National City Car Accident Attorney. Be sure to hire a California law firm with auto, motorcycle, truck, bicycle, pedestrian, car, bus, train, boat and airplane accident experience, wrongful death experience and insurance law expertise who can ensure you are properly represented and get the compensation you deserve.

 

If you have a personal injury legal matter, a dog bite or if you’ve lost a loved one in a wrongful death accident, call the Law Offices of R. Sebastian Gibson, or visit our website at http://www.SebastianGibsonLaw.com  and learn how we can assist you.



By: R. Sebastian Gibson

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Friday, December 18th, 2009 Car Accident Lawyer No Comments

Oxnard Car Accident Lawyers Draw on Local Traffic Knowledge

A seasoned Oxnard car accident lawyer will tell you that if you suffer an injury in a car collision in Oxnard, seeking the advice of a lawyer who is familiar with Oxnard traffic and its local accident statistics can be very helpful.

For example, knowledgeable Oxnard lawyers know that in 2006, 13 people died and 1,105 were injured in city car crashes. One pedestrian was killed and 64 were injured in car collisions. A total of 76 bicyclists and eight motorcyclists were injured. Drunk drivers caused five fatalities and 162 injuries. In 2007, 13 car collisions ended in 13 deaths. In 2008, 12 car collisions ended in 14 fatalities.

Knowing the How and Why of Local City Accidents

Experienced Oxnard car accident lawyers use local statistical information and traffic hazards to help them understand why and how a car accident happened.

As an example, suppose one of their clients was involved in a car crash at the intersection of Ventura Road and West 5th Street. Smart Oxnard car collision lawyers would know that this busy intersection–which carries nearly 50,000 every day–has been cited as the second most dangerous in Venture County with 26 accidents involving rear-enders, motorists running red lights or drivers hitting fixed objects. Seasoned lawyers would analyze statistical and traffic data and try to determine if any problems still exist at this intersection–problems that might have caused the accident. They would look for evidence of poor lighting, road design, improper signage, and faulty traffic control signals.

Similarly, car collisions occurring at the intersection at Ventura Road and 9th Street–a crossroad that has seen dozens of accidents–would also be carefully studied for poor lighting, improper or in adequate traffic control measures and potentially hazardous street design.

Likewise, accident-prone intersections like Vineyard Avenue and Oxnard Boulevard, Rose Avenue and Fifth Street, and West Channel Islands Boulevard and Victoria Avenue–all have seen at least a dozen car crashes in a two-year timeframe. Skilled Oxnard car collision lawyers representing clients injured at these intersections would study prior accidents that occurred there to help determine the exact conditions that precipitated the accident. And more, importantly, if these conditions still exist.

The point is, Oxnard car collision lawyers who know the area are best equipped to make sound judgments about the circumstances surrounding an accident and the level of blame that can be assigned to each contributing factor.

Consult an Oxnard Car Accident Lawyer

Should you get into a traffic accident, you would be smart to seek the advice of an Oxnard car crash lawyer. In most cases, initial no-obligation consultations are free to accident victims. If you hire a car accident lawyer, their fees won’t be passed on to you unless they win your case or negotiate a settlement.

By: J. Bisnar

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Thursday, October 8th, 2009 Car Accident Lawyer No Comments

Car Accident Lawyer Discusses Accident Statistics and Traffic Problems

Seeking the advice of a Bakersfield car accident lawyer can be especially helpful if you get into a car accident in Bakersfield, California. This holds true particularly if you seek to recover fair compensation for your injuries and losses. Sadly, accidents can happen when you least expect it, whether you drive a car, bike or motorcycle. When looking for a car accident lawyer, it’s important to find one that is familiar with the unique traffic concerns and car collision statistics of Bakersfield.

Sobering Bakersfield Accident Statistics

Knowledgeable car accident lawyers are entirely aware of recent statistics from the California Highway Patrol’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS). They know, for example, that in 2006, 24 people died and 1,126 were injured in city car crashes; that four pedestrians were killed and 94 were injured in car collisions; that two bicyclists were killed and 52 were injured in car accidents; and that motorcycle accidents killed four and injured 54. They also know that the following year, there were 23 car collisions resulting in 25 deaths in Bakersfield.

Some of the most skilled Bakersfield car accident lawyers are also fully aware of the city’s disturbing drunk driver casualties. For example, in 2006, DUI collisions were the cause of eight fatalities and 141 injuries.

Troubling Bakersfield Traffic Problems

Smart Bakersfield car collision lawyers know that certain areas of the city have been plagued with traffic problems. And it is these problems that can contribute to a variety of car accidents. For example, traffic problems seem to be getting worst every year as the city’s growth multiplies the number of cars here. Areas like Rosedale Highway/24th Street, the Highway 99 off-ramps, Ming Avenue and Mount Vernon Avenue near Bakersfield College can, at times, suffer from extended traffic jams. There are also some roads in Bakersfield with potholes, which can cause drivers to suddenly lose control of their car, and which can be particularly dangerous to motorcyclists.

By: J. Bisnar

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Monday, October 5th, 2009 Car Accident Lawyer No Comments

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