Being in an auto accident is a very serious and sometimes deadly event. Accidents that may, a first, appear to be minor, often can cause debilitating injuries that will continue to affect the quality of your daily life. Car accidents and injuries of ANY kind should not be taken lightly. Here’s what you should do:

First and foremost call 911, report the accident and wait for the police to arrive. Get to a nearby hospital if you are hurt. If you, or someone else, cannot drive to the hospital, ask the 911 operators for medical assistance and an ambulance will take you to the emergency room. If you do not feel you are hurt to the point of needing to go to the hospital or to be treated by emergency personnel, then get the “Driver’s Exchange of Information Sheet” from the investigating officer once he/she has completed their investigation.

Second, PICTURES, PICTURES, PICTURES!! It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Eliminate the need for in depth and repetitive descriptions of the accident and take as many pictures as you can. Take pictures of your car, the at-fault drivers car, any other cars involved in the accident. Take pictures of the road where it happened. Take pictures of you and your injuries, your passengers’ injuries, and the at-fault driver and their passengers. Lastly, take pictures of any damage to street signs, street lights, or other property. You can never have too many pictures of your accident scene, injuries and damage.

Third, under NO circumstances should you discuss your case or give a recorded statement to the at-fault driver’s insurance carrier at the scene of the accident. Auto Insurance Carriers are notorious for taking a recorded statement at the scene of an accident when you are frightened and scared and then using that information against you at a later date. Many times, victims of a car accident cannot remember what they told the insurance company or whom they spoke to.

Fourth, call The Sackman Trial Group for further evaluation of your case. The consultation is absolutely FREE and you will want to understand your rights as it applies to PIP benefits, reporting the accident to your own auto insurance carrier, property damage and how to get your car fixed, wage loss (if applicable), where to treat if you need medical attention among other issues.

Call The Sackman Trial Group today 321-558-7000.

Yes and No. Your auto insurance carrier will be paying for your medical treatment so it is imperative that you cooperate with them in order to get your treating doctor paid. However, under no circumstances should you submit to a “recorded statement” for ANY insurance company. Politely decline a recorded statement if asked to do so. There is no reason to be rude, the insurance company is just trying to do their job. However, what you say immediately after a car crash as to how you feel, what injuries you have (if any), and if you need any emergency medical treatment could very well change within 48-72 hours. Most insurance companies will use a recorded statement against you to potentially deny medical coverage. After a car accident contact The Sackman Trial Group immediately for on-the-scene-advice that will protect you and your legal rights.

This is a very good question. Some areas of law like criminal law, business law or family law all require a “retainer” (money up front to the attorney) for an attorney to take your case. This is a standard practice. Personal injury cases, however, are taken on a “contingency fee” basis. You don’t owe us any money at our initial consultation, and you won’t owe us any money a month from then. “Contingency” means any fee received by the attorney is contingent upon the attorney’s efforts in procuring a settlement from the Insurance Company. If The Sackman Trial Group does not get you any money for your accident, you owe us nothing. Not a cent. Contact The Sackman Trial Group today to schedule your free consultation.

You are free to treat with whatever kind of doctor you would like. However, most family doctors or primary care physicians do not accept car accident patients. The billing procedures are slightly different and most family practices are not set up to bill auto insurance companies. Almost all Chiropractic/Injury Rehabilitation Clinics in your area will accept your car insurance for treatment. If you do not know of a doctor or clinic in your area, The Sackman Trial Group will be happy to suggest a number of competent doctors and clinics to assist you in treating your injuries. Contact The Sackman Trial Group today to schedule your free consultation.

Of course, I will. I will personally come to the hospital to see you and to discuss your case with you. Not a paralegal, not an investigator, but me. Hospitals can be a scary place after an accident. Let me ease your mind and assist you in the best course of action to take in your legal case so you can focus on your medical treatment and recovery. Contact our office today to schedule a free consultation.

That’s a tough question. Some cases settle very quickly because injuries are minor, and your recovery is fast. Other cases are more involved with much more significant, sometimes catastrophic injuries that require months and months of rehabilitation. Obviously, these types of cases take longer to settle. Contact The Sackman Trial Group today to schedule a free consultation to discuss the particular facts of your case and we can give you a better assessment of how long we expect your case to take.

I certainly hope not. That’s not fair to you, the injured party. Under most circumstances, attorneys are allowed by law to take one-third of the overall settlement, if the case settles BEFORE litigation. If a case settles AFTER litigation has been initiated with the courts, usually attorneys take 40 percent of whatever a jury or mediation renders. These fee percentages could be reduced if the amount of the settlement/verdict increases significantly.

Although that may seem like a lot of money, at first, you should consider three reasons why attorneys in injury cases charge these types of fees. First, your lawyer and law firm may spend thousands of dollars of its own money preparing and presenting your case without EVER ASKING YOU TO PAY A CENT. Trials, in particular, can be very expensive. Second, if the firm does not win or settle your case, they will never get the money they have invested in your case back, so the financial risk of taking your case is carried by the attorney, not by you or anyone else. Lastly, if you choose to settle with the insurance company on your own, without the assistance of an experienced personal injury trial attorney, you might receive less money than you would if you were represented by an attorney, even after taking attorney’s fees into account.

Whether you think you want to hire an attorney or not, it could be worth it to contact our office today to schedule a free consultation. There’s no cost to you for the consultation, regardless of whether you decide to hire our firm, and we may be able to provide you with some helpful information.

Car accidents are very stressful situations and under most circumstances, adrenaline will be flowing through you very rapidly right after the accident. Once you have had a chance to relax and calm down from the excitement and stress, you may start to feel aches and pains that you didn’t feel several hours or even several days before. This is a very common occurrence after a car accident. If you are in immediate and serious pain, I suggest you go to the Emergency Room and make sure that you give the intake nurse your CAR INSURANCE information so the hospital can bill your carrier. Then, call The Sackman Trial Group for further legal advice, and how to follow up with a good doctor after you are released from the hospital. IT’S VERY IMPORTANT that you seek medical care for your injuries within 14 days of the accident date. Initial treatment AFTER 14 days significantly limits the amount of medical treatment your auto insurance carrier will pay for.

Contact The Sackman Trial Group today to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.

If you are severely injured, first call 911 and get transported to the nearest hospital by ambulance. If you do not need IMMEDIATE medical attention make sure you report the accident to management. Before leaving the business, you should take pictures of the ENTIRE area not just the area where you tripped and fell. If you slipped on a slick surface, try to figure out what caused the floor to be slippery. Was the floor greasy, soapy, wet, did it have an odor? Was it soda, coffee, water, mop water?

As soon as you are able, contact The Sackman Trail Group. The company’s insurance representative may contact you first. Tell them you cannot speak with them until you have consulted with your attorney. If they persist, give them the number to our office. Remember, the insurance company represents the business’ interests NOT your interests.

I understand your hesitation. There is a lot of negative publicity surrounding some personal injury cases. However, all major insurance companies have lawyers representing them so you must have your own attorney representation, too. You should never speak to the insurance company of the at fault party or sign away any of your rights without speaking to an attorney at The Sackman Trial Group first. You MUST understand the consequences of your actions BEFORE you speak to anyone or sign anything. Insurance companies are looking out for themselves, and they may say things that seem innocent to you, but are really designed to reduce the amount of money you may be entitled to receive as a recovery.

Call The Sackman Trial Group today at 321-558-7000. The consultation and case evaluation is absolutely FREE. It is always best to consult an attorney who is experienced in personal injury cases as we are accustomed to the insurance companies’ tactics and red-tape.

Do not worry. The Sackman Trial Group can suggest any number of highly qualified doctors in your local area that will treat you for your specific injuries. We can even have the doctor’s office contact you directly to set an appointment with you at your earliest convenience.

After any accident it is important you obtain an incident report (if available), witness statements (if any), hospital/medical records or bills, and any other information that will help prove what injuries you have, where the accident took place, and any other pertinent details. Medical bills that are mailed to your home, any lost wages that you are missing as a result of the accident and rent/mortgage due are all questions we will need to answer. Call The Sackman Trial Group to schedule a consultation as soon as you are able.

No. There is no “retainer fee” for the initial consultation. If we have the privilege of representing you in your personal injury claim, The Sackman Trial Group will work on what is termed a “contingency fee basis.” This means that any fee received by The Sackman Trial Group is contingent upon getting a settlement from the insurance company. If we do not obtain a settlement, you owe us nothing. There is no “up front” financial risk in discussing your case with The Sackman Trial Group.