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Scholarship Winners

1st Place $1,000 Scholarship

Emily DeVilder

The notion of civic duty has been fledging for quite some time in this country. Beyond conventional responsibilities associated with being an upstanding and productive citizen, generations past understood the significance of their government, a true democracy for and by the people, and how to cherish the liberties afforded to them. The opportunity to be judged by a jury of your peers, to be granted reasonable doubt, and ensured proper representation are some of the finest legal luxurious in the world. The Judicial branch of this country, the most powerful in all of government, expects and depends on its citizenry to fulfill their roles as Americans to preserve and deliver democratic justice in our communities, inviting the populace to play an active role in how we keep our nation safe, accountable, and just.

Recognizing this opportunity and understanding the responsibility entrusted to me, I would answer the call of citizenship and diligently engage myself with the legal process, should my name be selected for jury duty. Understanding the nuances and complications of the legal system, I would be forthright and earnest in all of my responses during selection, making it evident that I committed to impartially evaluating the case and its circumstances. Chiefly, I would carry out my duty with careful consideration and advocate for my fellow jurors to candidly express their thoughts in an effort to challenge my perspective. Upon encountering any challenges in understanding, on my part or on the part of my peers, I would seek counsel from the jury advisors to ensure the true meaning of the law and statutes we were charged with evaluating. Ultimately, the jury is the executor of justice, and I would see my duty to serve as a civic and moral obligation.

When trying to improve the narrative surrounding jury duty, we need to attack the problem holistically. Fundamentally, jury duty is an integral part of our civic duty. However, the presence of civics classes in the education system has largely vanished. We need to bolster our education system by empowering our youth with the knowledge of citizenship, with the power they hold in their liberal democracy. Not only will this enhance our country’s understanding and perception of jury duty, but it will also lead to a more engaged populace at every level of government.

Jury duty is an institutional liberty, a judicial necessity, and a civic responsibility that should be approached with an unrelenting sense of dedication and obligation.

Runner-Up $500 Scholarship

Chane Eckhardt

The Call to Jury Duty:
My Reaction and Ways to Improve its Image

As someone who is interested in the fields of law and criminal justice, I am familiar with the process of jury duty and its obligations. Though I have yet to be called for it, I do know that I will have to serve at some point and time in the future. Despite the fact that serving as a juror can bring another perspective into a potentially complicated case, many view this opportunity as a burden rather than as a service to the process of fair trial. I, however, do not view a jury summoning as such.

As I have previously mentioned, politics, law, and criminal justice are fields of study that I find interest in. A call for jury duty to me is one where I can become an important part of a trial and give my input towards which way the ruling should lean. My reaction to a jury call would be more of a positive feeling personally, compared to a more common reaction of negativity.

This common feeling of negativity is something that, though very apparent and alive, can be combated over time through a stronger usage of awareness and education of both the concept of jury duty and its impacts within society and the legal system.

From my own personal experiences, there is a correlation between the amount of awareness and the things people choose to volunteer for. Organizations that have larger quantities of resources dedicated towards public outreach and awareness tend to gain stronger support and higher numbers of volunteers and donors. Though jury duty is not necessarily a volunteer organization or opportunity, this same strategy can easily be utilized to improve its image among the populous and help to dismantle the “moans and groans.” Though it may be more difficult to instruct and change the minds of those who are older and have very set opinions, increasing the instruction and discussion of it within the public school system is a very strong way to teach the next generation about its importance and impact, as many groups and organizations already have. A longer session dedicated towards law in our government and politically-focused classes is a 2 very beneficial idea to encourage on schools and its administrators both within the city and at the state level. Indeed, this process is one that takes time to implement and properly advocate for; however, if the amount of support is stable and strong, change will be imminent for our education system.

As education becomes more rapidly available and accessible to all, the importance for proper education of governmental functions and the system of law will ever increase. As it does, it is important to use this as an advantage to improve the image and feelings towards jury duty. If properly done, the change will indeed come.

Runner-Up $500 Scholarship

Emily Cunningham

Intrigued – that’s how I would react if I was selected for jury duty. Unfortunately, in today’s society jury duty is perceived as a terrible nightmare. It is considered a waste of time, stupid, and boring. However, I strongly disagree. Through participating in Mock Trial for over 7 years, Iowa American Legion Auxiliary Girls State, enrolling in law and government classes at school, and exercising my right to vote, I have come to appreciate the judicial system, specifically jury duty, and know just how important and impactful it can be in a citizen’s life or community.

I believe there are many ideas that could be executed to start a positive association regarding the term jury duty. While having a goal of reaching and maintaining a positive mindset and attitude towards jury duty, one could try to normalize it, educate others about it, and invite others to see it in action.

In order to remove the stigma surrounding the term, normalization is necessary. Outreach programs or public campaigns that sponsor events such as hosting politicians, lawyers, and judges at schools to answer questions or family days at the courthouse. Programs founded on simple ideas like these will not only help young citizens create goals and aspirations to participate in the judicial system but display how important all voices are especially during jury duty. While not many young people are called for jury duty, the easiest steps begin with them. Incorporating the judicial system and jury duty into all levels of education through government, law, or criminology classes is vital for citizens to understand what juries do: decide the facts. Lastly, invite others to unofficially participate in jury duty through a short mock trial or a simple class vote when officials visit schools. Through normalization, education, and participation citizens are able to attain a basic understanding of what jury duty is and the responsibilities associated with this duty. As a result, citizens will be able to look at the term with a positive mindset and attitude and will want to serve.

Runner-Up $500 Scholarship

Brendan Hird

Across social media, news media, in school, and other means of public communication, I hear people say their voice is not heard and their opinion does not matter in America. Countless movements exist across the nation asking for their voice to be heard. Some people fail to understand that their voices can be heard at the ballot box and through serving jury duty.

I cannot wait for the day when I receive a letter in the mail inviting me to jury duty. Receiving the invitation means I haven’t committed a felony, I am old enough to participate in government activities, and I am needed to participate. As a juror, I will ensure the constitution will be followed as established by our forefathers. The pay may not be great, but I know my voice will be heard while serving on a jury.

One of the key elements of jury duty involves neutrality based on economic position, sex, sexual orientation, race, religion, etc. The only thing that matters is whether or not you are a United States citizen who obeys the law. We are a “melting pot,” accepting everyone regardless of status and we value their opinion. The United States flourishes on freedom, equality, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, etc. The judicial branch of our government was created to protect these rights.

The best way to reverse the negative perception of jury duty is to educate our young people that citizenship requires participation. Nowadays, people are trying to figure out how to impact their government and jury duty is one step in the process. The government needs to reaffirm its commitment to the citizen and distance itself from the corporate and special interest groups. Educators need to demonstrate how much of an honor it is to serve on a jury. Create an invitation letter signed by high-ranking government officials, speaking about the importance of jury duty. As citizens, we must look to contribute when possible, regardless of the convenience.

Runner-Up $500 Scholarship

Kiara Burmeister

Honor. This word comes to my mind when I think about being apart of jury duty. I see jury duty as a privilege instead of an obligation. Coming from a family of immigrants, I would feel honored to contribute to my society and be apart of something bigger than myself, since my ancestors were unable. I have always had a passion to help others through my work in community service and believe that the one day of my life dedicated to members of my community is worth more than a day of work. I believe the current stigma around jury duty exists simply because of the time commitment. However, I think commitment is a small price to pay for democracy. Although the number of democracies has grown exponentially, there are sixty-nine countries living without democratic governments of the 195 countries that are recognized in the world. I realize that the utmost of societies’ perceptions are unmodifiable, however, I think the best way to progress society is to simply educate. Educating our society through ads, articles, commercials, or social media would be a great start since today’s society is so connected digitally. The message would exemplify the great privilege we have in the United States and maybe compare our judicial system to another country. In conclusion, I would feel honored to serve my society and grateful for the opportunity to be able to help others.

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Hi there. Welcome to Legal Squeaks. I’m your host, Dennis VanDerGinst. And before we start discussing today’s topic, I’d like to ask you to please make sure you register or subscribe to Legal Squeaks on your favorite podcast platform.

It’s easy to do and it’s absolutely free. By doing so, you’ll be notified every time a new episode becomes available. And it also helps us track how successful we are with our content. You’ll also be able to view this podcast and all of our episodes at legalsqueaks.com.

So today’s topic is an important one. It’s what to do if you’re involved in a car accident. More than 10 million car and light truck crashes occur in the United States each year.

And even though there are fewer cars on the road since the Covid pandemic, in fact, 16 percent fewer, according to some sources, it’s ironic, but fewer drivers has actually led to more speeding to the tune of 27% increase and also hard braking incidents, up 25% as well as phone usage while driving, which is up 38%.

So the volume of car accidents hasn’t decreased, even though there are fewer cars on the road. The chances are that you or a close friend or family member has either been in a car accident at some point or will be in the future, even if it’s just a fender bender.

And when accidents like that happen, it’s easy to get anxious and stress. Adrenaline can prompt you to do things and say things that you should avoid. So it’s good to know in advance what you should do if you’re ever in that situation. So that’s what we’re going to talk about today.

The first thing is, as I mentioned, the adrenaline can get you pumped up. You want to try to remain calm. You won’t be able to make the important steps necessary in addressing the issues unless you are as calm as possible under the circumstances.

Always be sure to stop, first of all, when you’re in accident, don’t drive away from the scene of an accident, even if it’s a minor accident, because first of all, you may be overlooking opportunities to pursue compensation if you’ve sustained property damage or injury. And secondly, you could be facing criminal penalties, especially if you’re partially to blame in causing the accident. So always make sure you stop.

Once you’re stopped, first thing to do is check for injuries. Check yourself, check any of the passengers in your vehicle to see if there are any visible injuries and then call 911 one or ask someone else to do so if it appears that anyone is hurt, either in your vehicle or another vehicle that’s been involved in the accident. If you’re seriously injured, try not to move until help arrives to attend to your injuries.

Next, you want to determine what to do with your your vehicle. Now, that, of course, presupposes that your injuries allow you to assess that situation. If so, then you can determine whether your vehicle should be moved. Ideally, vehicles should be left safely where they came to rest so that if necessary, they’re in the same position they came to rest for purposes of accident reconstruction in order to determine where liability issues might exist.

So in other words, let the cars remain where they are, if they can be left there safely, so that a determination can be made with respect to who was at fault. But make sure that you’re in a safe location, even if you leave the vehicle where it came to rest. If the vehicles pose a hazard to you or to other people, then of course they should be moved to ensure safety.

In that case, you’ll want to pull them to the shoulder of the road or otherwise out of the way of approaching vehicles. If you can, you’re going to want to also make sure that you turned the hazard lights on. You can prevent further accidents by sending up flares if you have them, especially if it’s dark out. And if your lights aren’t working. You should prepare for things like this by making sure you also have a flashlight in your car at all times so that if you do have to be on the side of the road and it’s dark, you can at least have the light, the flashlight on to make sure oncoming vehicles can see that you’re there so that they can avoid causing further harm.

Next, make sure you keep a cool head, even if you know that the other person is clearly at fault, try not to yell and become angry. If the other person does so, avoid a confrontation or an argument. Don’t assign fault and important, importantly, also, don’t admit guilt to the other persons who are at the scene.

Next, you’re going to want to document the accident. Now, what I mean by that is if your injuries allow you to do so and you have a phone with a camera or video on it or otherwise have a camera or video recorder available, take photos and or videos of the scene.

What you want to depict are the roadway itself and the nearby traffic controls. You want to show the position of the vehicles where they came to rest after the accident. And if they were moved, you want to also show where they were eventually moved. You want to show the damage to the exterior and the interior of the vehicles that were involved. You want to show debris like broken glass. If if there, if there are such, if there is such evidence of debris. You’re also going to want to show skid marks. You want to show the vehicle license plates.

In addition, you want to gather information from witnesses to the accident. The contact information, their names, what they might recall as far as the scene of the accident. Take note of any potential traffic cameras or security cameras in the in the area because they might have actually picked up footage of the accident. One thing you might want to be aware of also is that if there are ATMs, automatic teller machines, nearby don’t rule out the possibility that the cameras in those machines may have actually picked up footage of the accident.

You also want to note the weather and the road conditions. If, if you can’t take pictures, you’ll want to make a diagram while everything is still fresh in your mind or record it on on your your phone with audio, if possible.

Next, call the police. If nobody else has done so, it’s a good idea to call the police, even if it doesn’t appear that there are any serious injuries. You may need to make a police report in order to file a claim with your insurance company, even if it’s just a claim for damage to your vehicle.

The vehicles that are involved in the accident, as I mentioned before, should remain where they are unless they interfere with traffic. That way, when the police arrive, they can make a determination as to how the accident occurred and perhaps assess liability by issuing tickets or traffic citations.

When the police arrive, make sure you tell the officer or the officers exactly what happened. If you don’t know certain facts, tell that to the officer. Don’t speculate, don’t guess. Don’t misstate any of the facts.

If you’re asked if you are injured and you’re not sure, tell them that you’re not sure rather than saying, no, you’re not, not injured. Because often the pain and injuries from the accident don’t become apparent for hours, sometimes even days. So don’t say no or that might be held against you later on when you find out that you’re actually hurting from the accident. You should also make sure that the statements that are made by other persons who were either involved or witnessed the accident are accurate as well.

Be sure to write down the name, the badge number and the agency of the law enforcement officer who responds to your crash and prepares the traffic crash report. Also, make sure you get the report number. You should be able to contact that law enforcement agency within a day or two after the crash and request a copy of the report. In many instances, you’re just going to leave that up to an attorney, assuming that you do hire an attorney to help you, and I’m going to tell you why you should do that in just a moment.

In some states such as Illinois, you also have a legal duty to file a written report with the state’s Department of Transportation. Now, if you’re in a car wreck, when you’re in a different state, it’s best to always call 911 one to make sure that you are compliant with the state laws and to properly document what happened. If the police can’t come to the scene of your accident or if they have to leave before they take a report or they don’t show up because nobody seems to be hurt or the involved vehicles are not blocking traffic, et cetera, don’t panic.

Just make sure you go to the nearest police station and file a report as soon as possible after the accident. Most states allow up to seventy two hours to make a police report, but the laws vary by state. So get there as soon as possible if the police cannot arrive at the scene.

Next, exchange information with the other driver. Now, typically, an investigating officer will obtain that information for you or your insurance company may also do that.

But regardless of whether injuries are seemingly involved or if the police is called, you need to exchange certain relevant information with the other driver. State laws differ on what information you’re expected to exchange, but at very minimum, you’re going to want to get the other driver’s name and insurance information. You should ask to see the other drivers insurance card and if possible, look at that person’s license to confirm that the name and address that they give you are accurate. I’m not suggesting that people don’t give that information accurately, but you can assume that it does occur on occasion.

Also, don’t make any side deals with the other drivers to accept or pay cash for the accident instead of filing an insurance claim. Even if the other driver offers a significant amount of money or claims that they have no auto insurance, it generally creates more problems than it solves. So don’t cut those deals. If they tell you they don’t have insurance coverage again, let an attorney address that issue for you later on.

Important: get emergency medical attention if it’s necessary. All of the other things that I’ve mentioned here may not be addressed immediately if you have acute injuries that require immediate medical attention. Your health and well-being comes first.

Along those lines, don’t reject the emergency care at the scene, nor an ambulance ride to an emergency department if it’s offered or suggested by the emergency personnel who arrive there at the scene.

Even if you think you can tough it out or you can drive yourself to the emergency room, you may find that your injuries are more serious than you thought. And your rejection of care at the scene could later be viewed by an insurance company or even a jury, if it goes that far, as one: an indication that you must not have been injured if you didn’t accept that kind of care or two: you failed to mitigate your damages.

And by that, what I mean is everyone is obligated to do what they can to minimize the impact of damages that they sustain as a result of an accident. So if you don’t get the medical attention that a prudent person would ordinarily allow, that could be held against you. So don’t let that happen.

Next, make sure you report the accident to your own insurance carrier. Even if you weren’t at fault, you’re going to want to alert your insurance carrier to the accident. Many policies require that you report as soon as possible and you cooperate with with them. Otherwise they can deny benefits to which you might be entitled.

Now, why would you care if that’s the case if the other party is at fault? Well, I’ll tell you, because often the other parties insurance is going to delay in paying anything. Even if the other party is at fault, a lot of times their insurance is going to drag their feet. Sometimes there are legitimate reasons for their delay. For instance, they need to conduct their own investigation and speak to their own insured. Other times they’re simply being obstructionist in order to force you to accept a nominal settlement. So you can turn in those instances, you can turn to your own insurance to repair or replace your vehicle and get your rental vehicle if it’s necessary.

And if you have MedPay, medical payments coverage, or PIP, personal injury protection, you may rely on that coverage to pay some of your initial medical bills or at least cover any deductible or copay you may have with, if you have other health insurance options. And don’t feel bad for your own insurance company, that’s what you pay for. And they’re going to be reimbursed in most instances when a recovery is made against the other person’s insurance. So be sure you get in touch with your own insurance carrier so that you can take advantage of any coverage that you have.

Also, make sure you follow up and we talked about the emergency attention, but follow up with medical care and treatment. Whether you seek emergency care or not, after the accident, the chances are you’re going to feel the effects of an accident in the hours or days that follow. Don’t delay, seek the appropriate care and treatment. Sometimes that will be emergency care. Sometimes that may require a visit with a family doctor or a chiropractor. And then once you’re seen by an initial treatment provider, there might be a determination made that you need further follow up with other treaters like physical therapists, orthopedist, neurologists, et cetera.

Also, keep in mind that if you lost consciousness or were dazed for even a short period of time following a collision that you may have suffered a concussion or a closed head injury. This can cause cognitive and behavioral changes if it’s not treated properly. So be sure to get that proper follow up.

Next issue to discuss, do not help the other person’s insurance company. You have an obligation to cooperate with your own insurance company, but there’s no such obligation with respect to the other driver’s insurance company.

That company representative may certainly reach out to you and attempt to get a recorded statement. Don’t do that. It may appear to be innocuous. It may appear to be innocent. But even though it may not lead to problems, it certainly can. Their job, bear this in mind, their job is always to minimize that insurance companies obligation to pay compensation to you. And they’re going to frame questions and information in the way best suited to do that.

So similarly, don’t sign anything that they ask you to sign. Don’t sign medical authorizations, don’t sign release forms. They may tell you that they need an authorization in order to review and pay your medical bills. However, they’re often going to use those authorizations to dig into your past medical history in order to argue that your injuries are related to something other than the accident. All information should be provided to that insurance company, via an experienced attorney who is representing you. And we’re going to talk about that again in a moment.

I do want to point out, however, that sometimes the insurance company that represents you is also the insurance company that represents the other party. So in those instances, you do, it’s kind of odd, because you do have an obligation to speak to the adjuster who is assigned on your policy, but you don’t have any obligation, and again, what I just outlined applies when it is the adjuster who is assigned for the other party’s policy, even though there is, it’s the same company, they’re supposed to keep those claims issues separate and apart.

That, again, is why it is important to speak to an attorney and make sure that you are compliant with your obligations under your own coverage, but you are not giving up opportunities to make arguments for compensation under the other person’s coverage.

So, as I mentioned, speak to an attorney. If your injuries warrant the attention of a treatment provider, they likely also warrant the attention of an attorney.

There are so many things that can go wrong when an accident victim tries to go it alone. As an accident victim, you’re not going to know what you’re obligated to provide to insurance carriers, nor are you going to know what you’re entitled to receive in the way of compensation. That creates an environment that allows accident victims to be exploited by greedy and unscrupulous insurance companies. And I’m not saying that all companies are that way, nor am I saying all adjusters are that way.

But the insurance industry hasn’t become a trillion dollar industry by willingly giving everyone the compensation to which they’re entitled. Their job is to try to resolve claims for as little as possible while they accept the premiums from their insureds. So an experienced injury attorney will know how to gather the necessary information, ensure that you get reasonable and necessary medical care or other care and treatment, and make sure that you’re properly compensated for your medical bills, your lost wages, your out of pocket expenses, property damage, pain and suffering and other damages.

To help your attorney get you that proper compensation, be sure that you’re also keeping a journal and or a file of your accident and treatment. Write down your memories of what happened in the accident, while those details are still fresh in your mind. Keep a journal that records your injuries and the way they’ve impacted your normal life activities. It’s also a good idea to keep a file in which you can store copies of medical bills and other receipts, accident reports, work records and correspondence between you and the insurance company representatives. Now, good attorney is also going to gather that from the sources, but it doesn’t hurt for you to start gathering that right away.

Also, make sure that you keep all of your treatment appointments and don’t do anything inconsistent with your care. Insurance companies will be watching. As I mentioned before, you have a duty to mitigate your damages. If you fail to keep your treatment appointments, there’s an argument that can be made that if you had done so, if you had properly treated, your injuries would not have been as, as difficult to deal with, they would have resolved quicker, et cetera. So you need to mitigate those damages by making sure that you are keeping those appointments.

You also don’t want to do anything inconsistent with your care, as I mentioned. So if you have a neck injury, it doesn’t make sense for you to try to go out bowling. And then, of course, somebody may post a photo of you enjoying yourself bowling. That’s obviously very inconsistent with your injuries and the care that your treatment provider may be attempting to provide.

Along those similar lines, do not share your case with other people. While you might be able to discuss what happened with your family, you should be cautious about talking to others about your accident, because conversations with friends or with the general public are not protected by confidentiality privileges. So specifically, never discuss your cra, crash or your injuries or your treatment or your dealings with the insurance company on social media.

So don’t post on Facebook, don’t post on Twister, Twitter or any other social media, because those posts and those comments can be used by the other side, if the case goes to trial, they can be admissible and they can be used against you. So be sure to avoid that.

I hope this information was useful. If you’ve been injured in a car accident, again, it’s extremely important that you get a personal injury attorney on board as soon as possible. I’m not here to solicit cases, but if you have any questions or need help with the car accident, feel free to contact me directly or contact VanDerGinst Law at 800-960-8529 or info@vlaw.com.

As with most, as with most personal injury attorneys, consultations are free and there’s never an attorney fee unless we get you compensation.

Thank you for listening to Legal Squeaks. Again, if you haven’t already done so, please register, subscribe, review and or like Legal Squeaks on your favorite podcast platform. You can check out the video recording of this podcast and other episodes at legalsqueaks.com. Also, please be sure to check out our other podcast, Uncommon Convos.

Look for us next week when we will have some more important legal and consumer information on Legal Squeaks. In the meantime, have a great day. Stay safe. And I love you all.

Hi there. Welcome to Legal Squeaks. I’m your host, Dennis VanDerGinst. And before we start discussing today’s topic, I’d like to ask you to please make sure you register or subscribe to Legal Squeaks on your favorite podcast platform.

It’s easy to do and it’s absolutely free. By doing so, you’ll be notified every time a new episode becomes available. And it also helps us track how successful we are with our content. You’ll also be able to view this podcast and all of our episodes at legalsqueaks.com.

So today’s topic is an important one. It’s what to do if you’re involved in a car accident. More than 10 million car and light truck crashes occur in the United States each year.

And even though there are fewer cars on the road since the Covid pandemic, in fact, 16 percent fewer, according to some sources, it’s ironic, but fewer drivers has actually led to more speeding to the tune of 27% increase and also hard braking incidents, up 25% as well as phone usage while driving, which is up 38%.

So the volume of car accidents hasn’t decreased, even though there are fewer cars on the road. The chances are that you or a close friend or family member has either been in a car accident at some point or will be in the future, even if it’s just a fender bender.

And when accidents like that happen, it’s easy to get anxious and stress. Adrenaline can prompt you to do things and say things that you should avoid. So it’s good to know in advance what you should do if you’re ever in that situation. So that’s what we’re going to talk about today.

The first thing is, as I mentioned, the adrenaline can get you pumped up. You want to try to remain calm. You won’t be able to make the important steps necessary in addressing the issues unless you are as calm as possible under the circumstances.

Always be sure to stop, first of all, when you’re in accident, don’t drive away from the scene of an accident, even if it’s a minor accident, because first of all, you may be overlooking opportunities to pursue compensation if you’ve sustained property damage or injury. And secondly, you could be facing criminal penalties, especially if you’re partially to blame in causing the accident. So always make sure you stop.

Once you’re stopped, first thing to do is check for injuries. Check yourself, check any of the passengers in your vehicle to see if there are any visible injuries and then call 911 one or ask someone else to do so if it appears that anyone is hurt, either in your vehicle or another vehicle that’s been involved in the accident. If you’re seriously injured, try not to move until help arrives to attend to your injuries.

Next, you want to determine what to do with your your vehicle. Now, that, of course, presupposes that your injuries allow you to assess that situation. If so, then you can determine whether your vehicle should be moved. Ideally, vehicles should be left safely where they came to rest so that if necessary, they’re in the same position they came to rest for purposes of accident reconstruction in order to determine where liability issues might exist.

So in other words, let the cars remain where they are, if they can be left there safely, so that a determination can be made with respect to who was at fault. But make sure that you’re in a safe location, even if you leave the vehicle where it came to rest. If the vehicles pose a hazard to you or to other people, then of course they should be moved to ensure safety.

In that case, you’ll want to pull them to the shoulder of the road or otherwise out of the way of approaching vehicles. If you can, you’re going to want to also make sure that you turned the hazard lights on. You can prevent further accidents by sending up flares if you have them, especially if it’s dark out. And if your lights aren’t working. You should prepare for things like this by making sure you also have a flashlight in your car at all times so that if you do have to be on the side of the road and it’s dark, you can at least have the light, the flashlight on to make sure oncoming vehicles can see that you’re there so that they can avoid causing further harm.

Next, make sure you keep a cool head, even if you know that the other person is clearly at fault, try not to yell and become angry. If the other person does so, avoid a confrontation or an argument. Don’t assign fault and important, importantly, also, don’t admit guilt to the other persons who are at the scene.

Next, you’re going to want to document the accident. Now, what I mean by that is if your injuries allow you to do so and you have a phone with a camera or video on it or otherwise have a camera or video recorder available, take photos and or videos of the scene.

What you want to depict are the roadway itself and the nearby traffic controls. You want to show the position of the vehicles where they came to rest after the accident. And if they were moved, you want to also show where they were eventually moved. You want to show the damage to the exterior and the interior of the vehicles that were involved. You want to show debris like broken glass. If if there, if there are such, if there is such evidence of debris. You’re also going to want to show skid marks. You want to show the vehicle license plates.

In addition, you want to gather information from witnesses to the accident. The contact information, their names, what they might recall as far as the scene of the accident. Take note of any potential traffic cameras or security cameras in the in the area because they might have actually picked up footage of the accident. One thing you might want to be aware of also is that if there are ATMs, automatic teller machines, nearby don’t rule out the possibility that the cameras in those machines may have actually picked up footage of the accident.

You also want to note the weather and the road conditions. If, if you can’t take pictures, you’ll want to make a diagram while everything is still fresh in your mind or record it on on your your phone with audio, if possible.

Next, call the police. If nobody else has done so, it’s a good idea to call the police, even if it doesn’t appear that there are any serious injuries. You may need to make a police report in order to file a claim with your insurance company, even if it’s just a claim for damage to your vehicle.

The vehicles that are involved in the accident, as I mentioned before, should remain where they are unless they interfere with traffic. That way, when the police arrive, they can make a determination as to how the accident occurred and perhaps assess liability by issuing tickets or traffic citations.

When the police arrive, make sure you tell the officer or the officers exactly what happened. If you don’t know certain facts, tell that to the officer. Don’t speculate, don’t guess. Don’t misstate any of the facts.

If you’re asked if you are injured and you’re not sure, tell them that you’re not sure rather than saying, no, you’re not, not injured. Because often the pain and injuries from the accident don’t become apparent for hours, sometimes even days. So don’t say no or that might be held against you later on when you find out that you’re actually hurting from the accident. You should also make sure that the statements that are made by other persons who were either involved or witnessed the accident are accurate as well.

Be sure to write down the name, the badge number and the agency of the law enforcement officer who responds to your crash and prepares the traffic crash report. Also, make sure you get the report number. You should be able to contact that law enforcement agency within a day or two after the crash and request a copy of the report. In many instances, you’re just going to leave that up to an attorney, assuming that you do hire an attorney to help you, and I’m going to tell you why you should do that in just a moment.

In some states such as Illinois, you also have a legal duty to file a written report with the state’s Department of Transportation. Now, if you’re in a car wreck, when you’re in a different state, it’s best to always call 911 one to make sure that you are compliant with the state laws and to properly document what happened. If the police can’t come to the scene of your accident or if they have to leave before they take a report or they don’t show up because nobody seems to be hurt or the involved vehicles are not blocking traffic, et cetera, don’t panic.

Just make sure you go to the nearest police station and file a report as soon as possible after the accident. Most states allow up to seventy two hours to make a police report, but the laws vary by state. So get there as soon as possible if the police cannot arrive at the scene.

Next, exchange information with the other driver. Now, typically, an investigating officer will obtain that information for you or your insurance company may also do that.

But regardless of whether injuries are seemingly involved or if the police is called, you need to exchange certain relevant information with the other driver. State laws differ on what information you’re expected to exchange, but at very minimum, you’re going to want to get the other driver’s name and insurance information. You should ask to see the other drivers insurance card and if possible, look at that person’s license to confirm that the name and address that they give you are accurate. I’m not suggesting that people don’t give that information accurately, but you can assume that it does occur on occasion.

Also, don’t make any side deals with the other drivers to accept or pay cash for the accident instead of filing an insurance claim. Even if the other driver offers a significant amount of money or claims that they have no auto insurance, it generally creates more problems than it solves. So don’t cut those deals. If they tell you they don’t have insurance coverage again, let an attorney address that issue for you later on.

Important: get emergency medical attention if it’s necessary. All of the other things that I’ve mentioned here may not be addressed immediately if you have acute injuries that require immediate medical attention. Your health and well-being comes first.

Along those lines, don’t reject the emergency care at the scene, nor an ambulance ride to an emergency department if it’s offered or suggested by the emergency personnel who arrive there at the scene.

Even if you think you can tough it out or you can drive yourself to the emergency room, you may find that your injuries are more serious than you thought. And your rejection of care at the scene could later be viewed by an insurance company or even a jury, if it goes that far, as one: an indication that you must not have been injured if you didn’t accept that kind of care or two: you failed to mitigate your damages.

And by that, what I mean is everyone is obligated to do what they can to minimize the impact of damages that they sustain as a result of an accident. So if you don’t get the medical attention that a prudent person would ordinarily allow, that could be held against you. So don’t let that happen.

Next, make sure you report the accident to your own insurance carrier. Even if you weren’t at fault, you’re going to want to alert your insurance carrier to the accident. Many policies require that you report as soon as possible and you cooperate with with them. Otherwise they can deny benefits to which you might be entitled.

Now, why would you care if that’s the case if the other party is at fault? Well, I’ll tell you, because often the other parties insurance is going to delay in paying anything. Even if the other party is at fault, a lot of times their insurance is going to drag their feet. Sometimes there are legitimate reasons for their delay. For instance, they need to conduct their own investigation and speak to their own insured. Other times they’re simply being obstructionist in order to force you to accept a nominal settlement. So you can turn in those instances, you can turn to your own insurance to repair or replace your vehicle and get your rental vehicle if it’s necessary.

And if you have MedPay, medical payments coverage, or PIP, personal injury protection, you may rely on that coverage to pay some of your initial medical bills or at least cover any deductible or copay you may have with, if you have other health insurance options. And don’t feel bad for your own insurance company, that’s what you pay for. And they’re going to be reimbursed in most instances when a recovery is made against the other person’s insurance. So be sure you get in touch with your own insurance carrier so that you can take advantage of any coverage that you have.

Also, make sure you follow up and we talked about the emergency attention, but follow up with medical care and treatment. Whether you seek emergency care or not, after the accident, the chances are you’re going to feel the effects of an accident in the hours or days that follow. Don’t delay, seek the appropriate care and treatment. Sometimes that will be emergency care. Sometimes that may require a visit with a family doctor or a chiropractor. And then once you’re seen by an initial treatment provider, there might be a determination made that you need further follow up with other treaters like physical therapists, orthopedist, neurologists, et cetera.

Also, keep in mind that if you lost consciousness or were dazed for even a short period of time following a collision that you may have suffered a concussion or a closed head injury. This can cause cognitive and behavioral changes if it’s not treated properly. So be sure to get that proper follow up.

Next issue to discuss, do not help the other person’s insurance company. You have an obligation to cooperate with your own insurance company, but there’s no such obligation with respect to the other driver’s insurance company.

That company representative may certainly reach out to you and attempt to get a recorded statement. Don’t do that. It may appear to be innocuous. It may appear to be innocent. But even though it may not lead to problems, it certainly can. Their job, bear this in mind, their job is always to minimize that insurance companies obligation to pay compensation to you. And they’re going to frame questions and information in the way best suited to do that.

So similarly, don’t sign anything that they ask you to sign. Don’t sign medical authorizations, don’t sign release forms. They may tell you that they need an authorization in order to review and pay your medical bills. However, they’re often going to use those authorizations to dig into your past medical history in order to argue that your injuries are related to something other than the accident. All information should be provided to that insurance company, via an experienced attorney who is representing you. And we’re going to talk about that again in a moment.

I do want to point out, however, that sometimes the insurance company that represents you is also the insurance company that represents the other party. So in those instances, you do, it’s kind of odd, because you do have an obligation to speak to the adjuster who is assigned on your policy, but you don’t have any obligation, and again, what I just outlined applies when it is the adjuster who is assigned for the other party’s policy, even though there is, it’s the same company, they’re supposed to keep those claims issues separate and apart.

That, again, is why it is important to speak to an attorney and make sure that you are compliant with your obligations under your own coverage, but you are not giving up opportunities to make arguments for compensation under the other person’s coverage.

So, as I mentioned, speak to an attorney. If your injuries warrant the attention of a treatment provider, they likely also warrant the attention of an attorney.

There are so many things that can go wrong when an accident victim tries to go it alone. As an accident victim, you’re not going to know what you’re obligated to provide to insurance carriers, nor are you going to know what you’re entitled to receive in the way of compensation. That creates an environment that allows accident victims to be exploited by greedy and unscrupulous insurance companies. And I’m not saying that all companies are that way, nor am I saying all adjusters are that way.

But the insurance industry hasn’t become a trillion dollar industry by willingly giving everyone the compensation to which they’re entitled. Their job is to try to resolve claims for as little as possible while they accept the premiums from their insureds. So an experienced injury attorney will know how to gather the necessary information, ensure that you get reasonable and necessary medical care or other care and treatment, and make sure that you’re properly compensated for your medical bills, your lost wages, your out of pocket expenses, property damage, pain and suffering and other damages.

To help your attorney get you that proper compensation, be sure that you’re also keeping a journal and or a file of your accident and treatment. Write down your memories of what happened in the accident, while those details are still fresh in your mind. Keep a journal that records your injuries and the way they’ve impacted your normal life activities. It’s also a good idea to keep a file in which you can store copies of medical bills and other receipts, accident reports, work records and correspondence between you and the insurance company representatives. Now, good attorney is also going to gather that from the sources, but it doesn’t hurt for you to start gathering that right away.

Also, make sure that you keep all of your treatment appointments and don’t do anything inconsistent with your care. Insurance companies will be watching. As I mentioned before, you have a duty to mitigate your damages. If you fail to keep your treatment appointments, there’s an argument that can be made that if you had done so, if you had properly treated, your injuries would not have been as, as difficult to deal with, they would have resolved quicker, et cetera. So you need to mitigate those damages by making sure that you are keeping those appointments.

You also don’t want to do anything inconsistent with your care, as I mentioned. So if you have a neck injury, it doesn’t make sense for you to try to go out bowling. And then, of course, somebody may post a photo of you enjoying yourself bowling. That’s obviously very inconsistent with your injuries and the care that your treatment provider may be attempting to provide.

Along those similar lines, do not share your case with other people. While you might be able to discuss what happened with your family, you should be cautious about talking to others about your accident, because conversations with friends or with the general public are not protected by confidentiality privileges. So specifically, never discuss your cra, crash or your injuries or your treatment or your dealings with the insurance company on social media.

So don’t post on Facebook, don’t post on Twister, Twitter or any other social media, because those posts and those comments can be used by the other side, if the case goes to trial, they can be admissible and they can be used against you. So be sure to avoid that.

I hope this information was useful. If you’ve been injured in a car accident, again, it’s extremely important that you get a personal injury attorney on board as soon as possible. I’m not here to solicit cases, but if you have any questions or need help with the car accident, feel free to contact me directly or contact VanDerGinst Law at 800-960-8529 or info@vlaw.com.

As with most, as with most personal injury attorneys, consultations are free and there’s never an attorney fee unless we get you compensation.

Thank you for listening to Legal Squeaks. Again, if you haven’t already done so, please register, subscribe, review and or like Legal Squeaks on your favorite podcast platform. You can check out the video recording of this podcast and other episodes at legalsqueaks.com. Also, please be sure to check out our other podcast, Uncommon Convos.

Look for us next week when we will have some more important legal and consumer information on Legal Squeaks. In the meantime, have a great day. Stay safe. And I love you all.

Anyone can make that kind of statement.  But can they prove it?  We can.  VanDerGinst Law is one of the only law firms in the country to have been awarded the Better Business Bureau’s Torch Award for Ethics.

We have also been awarded the Client’s Choice Award from Avvo Lawyer Rating Service and the Client Champion Award from Martindale-Hubbell Attorney Rating Service.

(Click here to see testimonials from some of our clients)

Our personal injury attorneys can assist you with just about every type of injury related claim, including but not limited to car accidents,  truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, worker’s compensation, slip and fall accidents, dog attacks, injuries caused by dangerous or faulty products, medical negligence, boating accidents, plane accidents, railway accidents, construction accidents, wrongful death,  and just about any other accident caused by negligence or the wrongdoing of another.

With over thirty years of experience and having represented over 50,000 injured clients, VanDerGinst Law understands what you are going through. We can relieve your worries and stress and get you the compensation you deserve.

Don’t delay, contact us today. Click here or call 800-797-5391 for a FREE, no obligation consultation.

They say a good lawyer knows the law, but a great lawyer knows the judge! At VanDerGinst Law we know injury law.  We have represented over 50,000 injury victims over the years. But we also know the judges, lawyers, medical providers, and insurance adjusters who are involved in injury claims and lawsuits!

We have made record recoveries for a variety of different types of injury cases.  We have been recognized by peers, clients, and other professionals as among the best in the country in personal injury law.

We recover millions of dollars for injury victims each year.  We will fight hard to get you the money you deserve!

(CLICK HERE TO SEE SOME OF OUR AWARDS AND ACCOLADES)

With national resources and local connections, our personal injury attorneys can get you the maximum compensation for your personal injury claim.

Our Personal Injury Lawyers Also Have the Inside Track into The Insurance Industry.  We do not, and never will, represent insurance companies, thus always ensuring that we never have a conflict of interest in representing our injury clients.  But we employ former insurance adjusters and insurance defense lawyers who know the tricks of the trade.  We put that knowledge to work for you!

If you have suffered serious injuries, you need a personal injury law firm that focuses on injury law, rather than a lawyer who occasionally “dabbles”.  The practice of law is a lot like the practice of medicine. There are practitioners who have “general” practices and others who specialize.

At VanDerGinst Law we focus on injury law.

We are not saying that general practice lawyers cannot handle an occasional injury claim. But, if you needed brain surgery you would see a brain surgeon, not the family doctor, nor a gynecologist. By the same token, you can feel completely confident that you will be in good hands with the personal injury lawyers of VanDerGinst Law.

We can expertly handle ANY injury case that comes our way.

At VanDerGinst Law we handle personal injury cases on a contingent fee basis.  That means that if we fail in getting you money for your injuries, there is NO ATTORNEY FEE.  You will NEVER be out of pocket a penny.  We do not get paid unless and until you do.  Our fee is a percentage of the amount recovered. The percentage depends on the type of case we handle and whether the case must be litigated.  But it is never more than 40% of the recovery and is usually between 20% and one third.

Additionally, even though other personal injury lawyers say they charge a contingent fee, they may also require a retainer fee for costs (for filing fees, expert fees, court reporter fees, postage, records, etc.)  That can often be hundreds, even thousands of dollars.  At VanDerGinst Law we charge NO RETAINER FEE on injury cases.  We forward all costs necessary to pursue your claim.

We know how devastating serious injuries can be.  You may be suffering pain and incurring medical bills.  You may not be able to work due to your injuries.  The personal injury claims process can be agonizing, confusing and frustrating. The last thing you need is to hassle with medical providers, insurance carriers and adjusters.

Let VanDerGinst Law handle the stress and mess so you can concentrate on getting better!

We make opening a personal injury case as quick and convenient as possible.  You can visit one of our convenient office locations, or if you prefer, we can come to you.

We can also open most files right on the phone or online! Video conferencing is also available!

We are available 24/7 every day of the year! Simply click here or call 800-797-5391

We do whatever is reasonably necessary to open your file as quickly and easily as possible.  Once we open your file, we take immediate action to investigate and position your case to get the maximum compensation you deserve.

Many law firms require injury clients to track down medical and other documents.  At VanDerGinst Law our Personal Injury Lawyers and professional staff do all the work necessary to document your injuries.  We obtain all the records from medical providers.  We coordinate health insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, medical payment insurance, and any other benefits which may apply to your case.  We negotiate with the insurance adjuster and other representatives of the opposing party.  We do our best to position your case for the best settlement possible.  If the opponent doesn’t offer a reasonable settlement, our highly experienced personal injury attorneys are prepared to do battle in court, where we will fight hard to get you the best result.