Articles Posted in Traffic Accidents

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As an accident attorney here in Atlanta who deals with medical liens on a regular basis, there are some important points you need to know if you have outstanding medical liens.  First, if you have been injured in auto accident and do not have health insurance  there are health care providers that will treat you on what is called a medical lien.  This means the medical provider will have a lien against your settlement and will be legally entitled to proceeds from your settlement.  This is obviously a fair arrangement as the health care provider treated you without upfront payment for their services.

In such cases your personal injury attorney will pay your health care providers after your case has been settled.  Upon receipt of the settlement check from the responsible insurance company, your attorney will hold the funds in trust account.  At this stage of the settlement process your attorney can attempt to negotiate your medical bills for less than the original billed amount.  Not all health care providers will negotiate their bills but an experienced accident attorney will know how to proceed and which health care providers will play ball.

Often negotiating a medical bill can take weeks or even months to finalize.  Some attorneys as a favor to their clients will go ahead and issue a settlement check to the client even before all medial billing negotiations have been finalized.  This can be helpful to those injured victims where money is tight and bills need to be paid.

Since negotiating medical bills can take time, there is a danger that the medical provider will report the outstanding bill to the credit reporting agencies.  This is a danger to those of you who have been injured in an auto accident but are holding out on paying the medical providers timely.  You may ultimately end up with more money in your pocket once the bills have been finalized but you could also end up with a ding to your credit score.

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The most devastating accidents often occur at intersections. Most of the time t-bone accidents occur at intersections and are some of the most terrible accidents. Most t-bone accidents consist of high impact, side collisions that can cause whiplash, spinal injuries, or even death. While accidents are not always preventable, you can do a few things to reduce the risk of a side-impact car accident.

Do not drive while distracted by other things: New research shows that distracted drivers cause many accidents. Things like a cell phone, food, make up, or radios are often causes of accidents. If you must talk on the phone use a Bluetooth device or some other sort of hands-free device. Eat at home or at a restaurant, don’t risk your life and other people’s lives by driving distracted.

Don’t drive if you are tired: Another common reason for car accidents is because drivers are tired. After a long day at work, many people tend to zone out and lose focus on driving. This can be extremely dangerous as it can lead to a t-bone accident or rear-end collision. Remember, being tired affects you the same way alcohol does. Don’t risk your life, driving tired. Call someone to pick you up or better yet carpool with a group of co-workers so you can all keep each other awake.

Obey Traffic Laws: While this seems obvious, many accidents occur as a result of someone failing to a obey a traffic law. A common thing drivers fail to do is to use their turn signals. Drivers need to know your next driving maneuver so that they can properly react themselves. Be responsible, give yourself enough time to brake, use your turn signals, and keep a safe distance between you and a car in front of you.

These are three major things you can do to prevent an accident from occurring. Use your common sense when driving; it may be the difference between life and death.

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Thousands of car accidents occur in the United States each year. While the weather does cause many accidents, a large percentage of accidents are caused by poor driving or lack of attention by drivers. Edmunds recently released ten driving tips to avoid an accident. Here is what Edmunds recommends to avoid car accidents

Stay Alert of Your Blind Spots: As a driver, you need to be aware of your blind spots. Make sure to check if it safe to merge to a new lane by checking your blind spots.

Avoid the Fast Lane: Most people are not comfortable in the fast lane, so avoid it if you don’t need to drive in it. Plus, the center lane of a highway provides multiple “escape routes” in the event that you would need to take evasive action.

Pay Attention to what is Ahead: Make sure that you are alert and aware of your surroundings every time you get into the wheel. If you see trouble ahead, take proper steps to avoid the problem and continue on your way.

Know Your Car: Make sure that you know your car and your car’s limits. Do not take unnecessary evasive maneuvers that your car cannot handle; you will only end up crashing yourself. Don’t push your car to the limit.

Maintain Your Car: Believe it or not, a fair amount of car accidents could be prevented if the cars involved were properly maintained. Make sure to get regular inspections, have your tires and brakes checked, and change the oil if needed.

Avoid Driving at Night: Driving at night is the worst time to drive. It is incredibly difficult to see around you and there are plenty of drunk drivers around. If you can take a trip during the day, do it.

Judge a Person by the Condition of His/Her Car: If a person’s car is trashed, it is probably a good idea to proceed with caution around them. Large amounts of damage from possible multiple car wrecks are a bad sign.

Maintain Proper Posture: Do not drive in a slouched position. Position yourself so that you are comfortable, yet have firm control of the wheel. You should be sitting up straight.

Drive a Race Car: While this may be expensive, it will benefit you. High-performance driving schools teach evasive driving maneuvers and will greatly improve your general driving skills. Some schools even provide instruction on how to drive in poor weather.

Drive with Your Hands in the 9 and 3 O’clock Position: Many people have a tendency to drive with one arm. By driving in the 9” and 3” position, you are in the best position to respond to take action in an emergency in front of you.

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If you have been injured in an auto accident in Peachtree City, GA, The Angell Law Firm is available to discuss your possible accident claim. Call 770-217-4954 now for a free consultation with a PTC auto accident lawyer.

Peachtree City can be a dangerous place for drivers. The intersection of 74 and 54 is a notoriously deadly area and PTC has many unique obstacles like hidden pedestrian paths and golf carts all over the place. If you have been seriously injured due to the negligence of someone driving a car, truck, golf cart, or any other vehicle, we are here to help you.

Help For Your Peachtree City Injury Case

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a car accident, truck accident, workers comp accident, assault, or any other type of accident or incident, you may want to consider speaking with a personal injury attorney sooner than later. Call injury lawyer Bryce Angell now to discuss your case with no obligation. 770-217-4954.

Speak Now with a Peachtree City Car Accident Lawyer

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What is Whiplash?

Whiplash is a common term used to describe a neck injury caused in many car accidents where the head is forced to move quickly forward and backwards or even  from side to side. This sudden impact damages the ligaments and tendons in the neck which is usually diagnosed as a ‘neck sprain’ since the ligaments are usually overstretched during the sudden jolting of your head and neck.

What are the Symptoms of whiplash?

  • Neck and Back Pain
  • Stiffness
  • Loss of movement
  • Headaches
  • Muscle spasms

    • In Severe Impact Auto Collision Cases, Symptoms Can Include:

    • Headaches
    • Tingling in the fingers (known as paresthesia)
    • Pain in shoulders, arms and back
    • Sickness
    • Muscle spasms

    whiplash injury

    The most common cause of a whiplash injury is a motor vehicle accident when another vehicle collides with yours.  Due to the force of the impact you will more than likely be jolted in your seat.  Since you are secured in your chair by your seat belt, the most movement will take place in your neck.  A road traffic accident where one car rear ends another is the most common  cause of whiplash.  Whiplash type injuries can also occur during contact sports such as rugby and even from a blow to the head or a fall.

    Preventing the injury:
    As you can expect, preventing whiplash can be next to impossible since it usually involves unpredictable and violent contact.  Obviously, you may not be able to anticipate say a car crash. However, when traveling in your vehicle, you should ensure that you headrests are set up correctly; this will limit your head and neck movement should you experience a collision. – Unfortunately it is still difficult to prevent your head moving sideways in side impacts, and you may incur a whiplash type injury.

    If you have been hurt in an auto accident, call the Atlanta whiplash injury attorneys at The Angell Law Firm today at  770-217-4954 for a free phone consultation.