San Antonio Legal Advice

Welcome to “Do I Need A Lawyer?”
Thanks for joining us!

“Hi Gary –
This is different kind of question and I hope you can help. Our daughter just turned 16 and recently passed her driving test to get her license. I really want to be proactive in working with her on various things about the car. I’ve taught her how to check the oil level in the car, check the tire pressure, and she even knows how to change a tire if she were to ever get a flat.
But here is my concern. Of course I never want her to be in a wreck. I had her go through a defensive driving course too. I just want to make sure she will know what to do if she is ever in a wreck.
Can you give me a list of Do’s and Don’ts I can share with her?

Rodney – thanks for the question and that is a great one!
First of all, let me commend you for being so proactive in working with your daughter.
Let me give you some statistics about wrecks involving young, inexperienced drivers:

* In 2005, there were 3,374 drivers between the ages of 16-20 that were killed in car wrecks.
* In the U.S., the risk of a teen driver between the ages of 16-19 being involved in a car wreck is 4 times higher than that for older drivers.
* Out of every 100 teen drivers on the road:

* 28 will be involved in accidents.
* 13 will be injured in automobile accidents.
* 4 will be ticketed for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and
* 1 will be killed in a car crash.

There was a report that came out in September 2006 by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety that discussed the drivers’ education programs in schools. The report suggested that the education does not adequately make our students safer drivers. The way for us to lower the risks of teens being involved in crashes is to:

So getting back to Rodney’s question – I applaud you for being so actively involved in training your daughter to drive!

-Address

-Make, model, color and year of the vehicle
-License plate

* If you have a smart phone or camera, take pictures at the scene if possible.

DON’TS
* Don’t panic, but remain calm as best as possible. This is especially important if you or others at the scene are injured.

* Don’t accept blame for the wreck unless you have an opportunity to discuss the facts of the wreck with your attorney.

* DO NOT – DO NOT – accept any quick settlement offer from any insurance company.
You really need to the extent and severity of your injuries before you ever consider settling your claim.
Insurance companies are out there with these fast response vehicles.
They send them to the scene of the wreck if they can get there on time, or to your house right after the wreck.

What can you do now?

* Don’t Wait!
If you are hurt in a car wreck, call a lawyer right away!

If you have been hurt in a wreck and you don’t hire an attorney, you are letting the insurance company hang onto YOUR money. Plain and simple.
That money could be used to take care of your future medical needs or to help you catch up on your bills.
Please – you owe it to yourself to call a lawyer to discuss the facts of your specific claim.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a wreck, I encourage you to talk with a lawyer.
Just pick up the phone right now and give us a call at (770) 934-8000.

The consultation is FREE and completely confidential.

You owe it to yourself – to your family – to get the help you need.
So give us a call right now. (770) 934-8000.

Georgia Car Wreck Attorney

Welcome Back to “Do I Need A Lawyer?”
Thanks for starting your day with us here on the CW Network.

Let me bring in Philip Milam, the managing attorney for our personal injury department, to discuss the legal aspects of your case.
Philip, thanks for being here.

Gary: Philip, you are right!

I co-authored a chapter about this very subject in the best-selling book “Consumer’s Advocate” entitled “The Mourning After: Helping Families Cope After A Drunk Driving Wreck.”
***********
12 oz. of beer = 5 oz. of wine = 1.5 oz. of liquor
-All these drinks contain the same amount of alcohol
***********

The average person metabolizes alcohol at the rate of about one drink per hour.
Philip: Gary, let me give you and our viewers some more sobering statistics:

* Almost every 90 seconds, a drunk driver injures a victim in a car crash.

Gary: That is hard to imagine. 1 in 3 will be involved in a drunk driving crash in their lifetime.

Philip: Yes, I highly recommend him getting a lawyer right away.
And the two words I’d tell him we would go after – Compensation and Punishment.
Gary: Explain what you mean by compensation and punishment.
Philip: By compensation, we would pursue damages against the defendant to compensate Mason’s wife and his daughter for the following:
* Their injuries
* Their medical expenses
* Prescription charges
* Any lost wages

Gary: Now let’s talk about punishment.
Philip: Ok, but let’s break this up into two areas – criminal and civil.
The district attorney or the solicitor will be pursuing the criminal charges against the defendant for driving under the influence of alcohol.
Certainly, we will cooperate with them in the investigation and assist in any way we can.

We will go after the Defendant driver for punitive damages.
Gary: And what are “punitive damages”?
Philip:
Because the defendant caused the wreck while driving under the influence of alcohol, Georgia law allows us to seek punitive damages.
Gary: Philip, we are heading into a break.
When we come back, I’d like for you and I to talk more about Mason’s question.

Can you hang in there for a couple of moments?
Philip: I’d be happy to hang around.
Gary:
Our legal professionals are standing by right now to take your call.

If you would like to speak with my law firm about your claim, we make it easy for you.

And stay tuned for more of “Do I Need A Lawyer”
We’ll be right back.

Car Accident Injury Law

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Right now might feel like the wrong time to contact a lawyer about your personal injury accident. You might simply want to take time to recover. But the truth is the longer you wait to take legal action, the harder it is sometimes to get the compensation you rightfully deserve. Memories fade. Evidence disappears. Take action now. And don’t worry about the details. That’s our job. We can take The accomplished attorneys at Bertolino LLP give honest answers to difficult questions. We think differently. We believe hard work and honesty pay dividends. That’s why we work so diligently on each case. The more prepared you are, the greater the opportunity for success.

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