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Mistakes That Can Wreck a Seattle Car Accident Injury Case: Statements made to doctors and massage therapists

January 21, 2018 Andrew Cherin , ,

As a Seattle personal injury lawyer, I have seen many things that can help or hurt a car accident injury case. Here are some of the top mistakes or misconceptions that clients have that I have seen that hurt Seattle car accident injury cases. A misconception is that doctors, chiropractors, massage therapists, and others will only write in your records what helps

What you say to your doctor, massage therapist, chiropractor, or any medical personnel will be put in your medical records and potentially used against you. You may think that because your doctor has treated many people injured in car accidents before that they know what will hurt your case and what will help your car accident injury case. However, most doctors and other medical personnel have no clue about what will help your case and what will hurt your case. They are simply a recording device and focused on you getting better.

Doctors, massage therapists, and other medical personnel want to see you get better. In fact, it is their number one goal to get you better from the injuries you suffered in the car accident. Their goal is to get you better as fast as possible. When they see that you state that you are feeling good, they write it down. When you say you are no longer feeling pain in a certain area, they write it down. They often will not differentiate between how you are feeling right now and how you felt last night after work or how you felt as you drove home from work yesterday. However, the good ones will.

It’s important to understand that you are not lying and they are not lying when they put down this information, only that it is not the complete truth. A lot of time doctors will ask how you feel right now, which is fine but you need to be honest with them and tell them how you felt last night, how you felt driving here in the car, and how you feel when you do something that causes you pain too. This will allow them to put this into their notes as well.

It’s not a lie to tell them you are feeling ok right now because you are just sitting here. Additionally, a lot of people are anticipating feeling good because of past experiences and comfortability with your doctor, massage therapist, chiropractor, etc. who have made you feel good in the past. This can dull the senses in some ways and make you think of the future instead of the past.

What can you do to make sure that you are not hurting your case when you talk to your doctor, massage therapist, physical therapists, or chiropractor? When the doctor asks you how you are feeling right now, always think of they are asking how you have been doing since they last saw you. Think of the time you had a lot of pain with your car accident injuries since you last saw this doctor. It’s important to report both the good and the bad.

A lot of times doctors will focus on the good because they want to see you improving so they feel satisfaction with their being a part of your healing, which is great but give them the whole story.

 

Andrew CherinMistakes That Can Wreck a Seattle Car Accident Injury Case: Statements made to doctors and massage therapists
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What do I tell the insurance company after a car accident?

December 7, 2017 Andrew Cherin , , ,

After our clients have been injured in a Seattle car accident, two of the first questions they ask us are: “What should I say to the insurance company both mine and the defendant’s? What should I not say to the insurance company?”

The most important thing to keep in mind when speaking with an insurance company is to be very cautious and guarded, even if it is your own insurance company, because their mission is to find out whatever information benefits them.

You may think that they have your best interests at heart, but they are a business and thus they want to save money by paying as little as possible to you for your car accident injuries. This means that they will either try to minimize your claim or deny it altogether, depending on the information they obtain from you. This is why it is best if you say as little as possible. Anything you say can be twisted to be used against you and in favor of the other party.

ONLY GIVE OBJECTIVE INFORMATION WHEN REQUESTED

 

When dealing with the other driver’s insurance company, it is best if you only give objective information that is requested, such as the date of the Seattle car accident, your insurance policy information, and your contact information, and that you would like to talk to your personal injury lawyer if more information is requested. You only want to give them information when they request it and nothing more.

Most people will down play their injuries initially because they don’t want to be looked at as weak or meager. Additionally, people don’t want to say they are injured and how bad because they are uncomfortable talking about their pain and vulnerability after a car accident. For this reason, many men do not file a personal injury case against the insurance company and will rather tough out injuries and not seek treatment unless they need surgery.

In terms of your own insurance company, you have an obligation under your insurance contract to speak with them, but you still want to be very cautious about anything you sign or about giving a recorded statement. In your recorded statement it is ok to consult with your attorney before talking. Additionally, you can say that you do not know the extent of your injuries and you are currently seeking medical treatment for the injuries you suffered in the car accident.

If you have been injured in a Seattle car accident, you should think about talking to a Seattle personal injury lawyer first to determine your rights and what you are entitled to. You could be entitled to $10,000 or more for your car accident injury case. Best of all, consultations are free and Seattle personal injury lawyers are only paid out of the settlement and do not charge anything if we cannot recover anything for you. Anyone can afford a personal injury lawyer but you can’t afford not to have one against the insurance company.

 

 

Andrew CherinWhat do I tell the insurance company after a car accident?
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Pedestrian car accidents more often pedestrians’ fault?

August 22, 2017 Andrew Cherin ,

Walking is a very fun, stress relief type exercise. However, it can be very dangerous if you are not taking the proper precautions to make sure you are not hit by a car. Electric cars can come up on you very fast and without warning so it is always best to be 100% aware of your surroundings when entering a street from a sidewalk.

The Washington Traffic Safety Commission assessed the pedestrian versus car fatalities occurring between 2008 and 2012 in order to determine the factors that lead to such collisions. During this timeframe, 332 pedestrian fatalities were recorded in the state, which accounted for 14 percent of all traffic fatalities occurring during this time.

Who is most likely to get hit by a car? The study showed that men were more likely to be victims of a fatal pedestrian car crash, accounting for 66.3% of pedestrian versus car deaths during this time. Additionally, the majority of the victims were between the ages of 45 and 65. The reason this is so could be that men take more risks and may be oblivious to certain risks sometimes when they run out into the street. They could believe that cars will stop for them so they walk out into the street before the car has stopped to let them cross the street.

When are people more likely to be hit by a car as a pedestrian? The study showed that most of the pedestrian car accidents were in October and March at night. It This could be due to the sun starting to set earlier in October and people trying to leave work at the same time walking across the street and possibly just after daylight savings time ends in March making it a little darker at night once again with one hour advance.

Where are people more likely to be hit by a car as a pedestrian? You would think that most of the people killed in pedestrian car accidents were on residential streets but two-thirds of all pedestrians killed were fatally struck on an urban road and 45% were killed from crashes occurring on roads with speed limits between 35 and 50 mph, which are considered busier streets or highways. Only 30% occurred on roads with posted speed limits between 15 and 30 mph or neighborhood type roads or roads around schools.

Are the drivers more likely at fault or pedestrians? Most people would believe that the driver was at fault for almost everyone of these accidents. However, distracted driving accounted for 19.8%, impairment occurred in 13.5%, and failure to yield happened in 12.6% of fatal pedestrian accidents. This means driver error only accounted for 45.7% of fatal pedestrian car accidents, which means the pedestrian was more likely to be at fault for a pedestrian car accident at 54.3%.

Things you can do to prevent being hit by a car as a pedestrian – 

  1. Stop and look both ways before crossing a street
  2. Make eye contact with the driver
  3. Make sure the driver comes to a complete stop before crossing
  4. Hold hands with children and others while crossing the street
  5. Wear bright colors or reflective colors when walking

Walking is a great exercise that can lower blood pressure and stress but make sure you walk the streets with care so as to protect you, your children, your friends, your family, and others. If you know of anyone injured as a pedestrian hit by a car, please give them my contact information for a free consultation to make sure they get the professional help they deserve. A Seattle personal injury lawyer is the best one to help guide them and their case to make sure they get what they deserve.

Andrew CherinPedestrian car accidents more often pedestrians’ fault?
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