How to Get the Most from Your Car Accident Settlement

Being the victim of a car accident that was not your fault is a traumatic experience, with damages ranging from mild to severe.  If you or a loved one were injured in an auto accident due to the negligence of another there are a few things that you should do to maximize your compensation for your claim.  If you are left to deal with a lifetime of pain from any type of injury, whether it be back pain or debilitating headaches, you deserve compensation to the fullest extent of the law. 

In wrongful death cases, while nothing can bring back your loved one, a financial recovery allows you to focus on what really matters, physical and mental recovery.  If you’ve been the victim of a car accident, please follow these tips to maximize your settlement. 

1)  Document All Details from the Accident

Document as much as you can about the accident while it is still fresh in your mind.  You should always write down the name of the other driver, the make and model of their car, license plate number and get their auto insurance information.  

Even if you don’t think you incurred an injury you should obtain a police report and get checked out medically. A police report may be the best line of defense in case you need ongoing medical care or your case goes to trial.  

2) Seek Medical Care Immediately

Do not wait to seek medical attention, even if you think you may just have a sprain, a strain, a sore neck or some bruising that you think will clear up quickly.  Seek medical attention immediately as injuries from a car accident may not appear right away due to the adrenaline increase at the time of accident and the way that soft tissue injuries may worsen over time.  Be sure to obtain and keep all of your medical records from each visit. 

3)  Follow Doctor’s Orders

Be sure to follow the advice of your physicians if they tell you to rest or attend physical therapy or rehabilitation appointments. Taking care of yourself is important and following the advice of your physicians only strengthens your case by proving your due diligence to recover from your injuries. 

4)  Document All Missed Work and Earning Losses

Keep track of all missed work for every doctor appointment or hospitalizations.  If the accident caused you to miss out on overtime, promotions or additional earning potential be sure to document any future earning losses as well. 

5)  Be Honest About Personal and Emotional Trauma

Seek counseling for any emotional trauma or for dealing with grief and loss.  Victims of car accidents that deal with chronic pain often feel depressed due to living in a constant state of pain.  Seek help from a therapist with experience in treating patients of chronic pain if you are experiencing constant pain or depression. 

6)  Do Not Talk to the Insurance Company of the At Fault Driver

Do not have any conversations with the insurance company of the at-fault driver until you speak with a car accident lawyer who has your best interest at heart.  The other party’s insurance carrier has one goal, to minimize their claim.  They may record your conversation and try to use it against you at a later time to reduce your claim. 

7) Hire a Car Accident Attorney

Hire a car accident attorney with experience in personal injury and automobile accidents. Your personal injury lawyer will give you the best advice in how to maximize any settlement from an auto injury claim. 

We hope that you never have to experience pain and suffering from an automobile accident.  If you’ve been injured due to the negligence of another, you deserve full compensation.  

Schiff & Associates is a personal injury law firm with experience in helping our clients get the results they deserve from automobile accident injuries and wrongful death cases.  We offer a team of specialists who help to evaluate your injuries, long term consequences, loss of income and potential income. Contact us to speak with a personal injury lawyer who has your best interest at heart, to get the results you deserve with the maximum settlement amount allowed under the law.

Compensation for Soft Tissue Injuries

Accidents from motor vehicle crashes, slips and falls and workplace incidents cause many types of injuries, including soft tissue damage. Soft tissue damage may not be as noticeable as a broken bone but should not be overlooked. These types of injuries can take a long time to heal, may require ongoing medical care and could significantly impact your quality of life. 

Soft tissue injuries include:

• Whiplash

• Herniated discs

• Building discs

• Neck strains and sprains

• Shoulder strains and sprains

• Back strains and sprains

• Bursitis

• Nerve damage

• Stress injuries

• Contusions (bruising)

• Injuries to muscles, ligaments and tendons such as tendonitis

If you’ve experienced an accident due to the negligence of others that resulted in any type of injury including soft tissue damage, it is important to speak with a personal injury lawyer.  An experienced personal injury attorney can help you receive the compensation you deserve. 

Personal Injury Lawyer Experienced in Soft Tissue Damage

Schiff & Associates in Columbus, Ohio is an experienced personal injury law firm with a successful track record for handling thousands of soft tissue injury cases each year.  We are experienced in personal injury and wrongful death cases, with the expertise to resolve your injury claim quickly and recover all expenses associated with your injury.  We conduct a thorough investigation of medical records and evidence to recover the maximum financial compensation available under the law. 

Contact us for a free initial consultation and case evaluation from an experienced personal injury attorney with expertise in soft tissue damage.  Our team is committed to fighting for your rights and getting the compensation you deserve for current and future medical expenses as well as loss of income, pain and suffering. 

Schiff & Associates has provided trusted legal representation to the Columbus, OH and surrounding areas since 1982.  We offer experience in personal injury and wrongful death cases, getting our clients the results they deserve. Contact us for a free initial consultation with an experienced personal injury attorney.

How to Determine Medical Expenses from a Car Accident

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, approximately three million people are non fatally injured in a car accident each year in the United States.  Costs for medical care from crash related injuries combined with productivity losses topped $75 billion in 2017. Injuries sustained from automobile accidents can result in many injuries which may not even be apparent at the time of the crash. 

The most common types of injuries from automobile accidents include whiplash, skull fractures and pelvic fractures with whiplash the most common type of injury incurred by a rear end collision.  Whiplash can cause many symptoms, some that may get better after a few weeks, a few months or may linger for many years in severe cases. Whiplash may cause many symptoms: 

• Neck pain and stiffness

• Headaches

• Dizziness

• Tingling or numbness in your arms

• Fatigue

• Loss of range of motion in your neck

• Worsening of pain with neck movement

Some of these symptoms may get better over time, while in other cases whiplash can cause traumatic brain injury that affects your ongoing earning ability and quality of life with symptoms such as:

• Blurred vision

• Ringing in the ears

• Memory problems

• Difficulty concentrating

If you experience any of these symptoms following a car accident it is important to seek medical attention right away and speak with a car accident attorney.  Medical expenses may continue after an initial emergency room visit and could develop into long term medical conditions.  You may experience ongoing medical expenses, physical therapy, surgery or lost wages. Speak with an experienced auto accident attorney to recover full medical expenses and damages for loss of wages, pain and suffering.   

How Auto Accident Attorneys Help Determine Medical Costs

Schiff & Associates Co., LPA is an experienced personal injury lawyer in Ohio, offering a full team of experts and respected specialists.  We analyze your current injuries and expenses, forecast future losses and fight for your rights.  Since 1982, we have been helping accident victims to receive the compensation they deserve from a multitude of injuries, including damages for whiplash, serious nonfatal injuries and wrongful death cases. 

Our team of experts fights on your behalf to recover the full medical expenses and range of damages you are entitled to under the law. We work with our respected in-house CPA and a broad range of medical experts including vocational rehabilitation counselors to assess your total current and future losses. 

Schiff & Associates offers an experienced legal team with a history of getting our clients the results they deserve since 1982.  We know that your financial recovery is just as critical as your physical recovery following an auto accident.  Contact us for a free initial consultation and speak with a leading personal injury attorney in Columbus, Ohio.

Top 5 Things NOT to do After an Automobile Accident

Automobile accidents range from a fender bender with no injuries, to one that may cause serious injuries or even death.  If you are involved in any type of car accident, here are some tips on what NOT to do. In the state of Ohio and any other at-fault state (as opposed to no-fault states) the person who caused the accident, who is at fault, is responsible and their auto insurance should compensate you for any damages including damages to your car and medical bills. 

You should know that it is important to contact the police for a police report when involved in an auto accident and trade information with the other driver, specifically their contact and insurance information.  There are some other things, however, that you should not do as compiled from a top Ohio personal injury attorney.   Here’s our list of the top 5 things NOT to do after a car accident:

1)  Do Not Apologize

It may be in your nature to say “I’m sorry” when involved in any car accident, whether or not it was your fault.  Be careful, these two little words could be used against you by the other insurance carrier and construed as an admittance of guilt.  Feel free to check on the other driver without offering an apology, it’s always OK to ask if they are all right, just don’t mutter an apology when the accident was clearly not your fault and even if you think it may have been your fault.  Do not admit guilt to the other driver, witnesses or police until speaking with your own auto accident attorney. 

2) Do Not Trust the Other Driver to Do What’s Right Without Police or Insurance Involvement

This happens more frequently than we like, someone runs into you and begs you to not call the police because they cannot afford an insurance hike or a ticket.  As compelling an argument as they could make at the time, there is no way you can trust this individual to do what’s right. They may offer to pay you directly for damages, although in our experience this never pans out and you may be left with no compensation for damages to your car or medical expenses.  

Always make a report so that you do have proof of the accident, record the facts including make, model and license plate number of the other vehicle. Take pictures of damages if you can.  

3)  Don’t Wait to Visit a Doctor

Always err on the side of caution even when you don’t think you experienced any serious injury.  Frequently, car accidents cause injuries that are not noticed right away and may worsen over time.  This gives you peace of mind in knowing nothing serious may have occurred, like whiplash, a back or spinal cord injury that you may not even be aware of, while also providing proof that your injuries were caused by the accident. 

4)  Do not Speak Directly with Their Insurance Company

The insurance company representing the at-fault driver has a goal to minimize their claim amount and pay out as little as possible.  This is where the expertise of your own car accident attorney will provide you great benefit. Take the advice from an experienced personal injury lawyer and never talk to the other insurance company before first speaking with your own lawyer.  This is very important, as they will most likely want to record your phone call and can use anything you say against you to reduce your settlement. 

5)  Never Accept a Lowball Settlement Offer

You may be contacted rather quickly following an accident by the insurance company wanting to offer you a cash settlement.  Never accept this offer before you speak with an experienced car accident lawyer who has your best interest in mind. In many cases, if you are left out of work for a few days or weeks, they will be aware of this and will count on you needing some quick cash.  Resist the urge to accept a lowball offer and first talk to a personal injury lawyer to determine what a fair settlement amount should be. 

Schiff & Associates is here to help, with legal services to protect you and your rights.  If you or a loved one has been injured in an automobile accident, don’t hesitate to contact us for a consultation.  We guide you in the best way to respond in cases of a car accident and always fight for the fair settlement you deserve.

What You Need to Know When Injured in a Car Accident

An automobile accident which leaves you or a loved one injured is a traumatic experience, especially when serious injuries or fatalities occur due to another’s negligence.  Serious injuries such as spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) may leave someone permanently disabled with severe impact to enjoying the same quality of life.  

If you or a loved one has been injured or worse, from a car accident that you feel was due to the negligence of another person, don’t wait in contacting a personal injury attorney. 

How a Personal Injury Lawyer Helps Car Accident Victims

It’s important to contact an experienced personal injury law firm such as Schiff & Associates quickly after an accident.  We answer all your questions and put all your fears to rest. For nearly 30 years, Schiff & Associates has been fighting for the rights of accident victims, putting all our years of experience to work on your behalf. 

In many cases, your immediate and long term ability to make a comparable standard of living could be affected.  We understand the devastation crippling accidents can cause to your and your family. We determine the true cost of your injuries and work with medical and rehabilitation specialists to help determine the extent of your losses, short and long term. 

In the tragic event of wrongful death, you need the guidance of an experienced car accident attorney to help you with all unfortunate ramifications.  This is an extremely unsettling time where your attention should be focused on helping your family through difficult times.  Schiff & Associates helps you to obtain the settlement you deserve, including payment for things like advice, guidance and grief counseling as well as current and future loss of income, loss of companionship and punitive damages. 

We understand how upsetting any type of car accident can be.  Contact a professional who can help you focus on what’s important and fight for your rights. 

Schiff & Associates have provided trusted legal representation in many car accidents, personal injury and wrongful death cases since 1982.  We have a reputation for getting clients the financial recovery they deserve so they can focus on their physical recovery. Contact us for more information and to speak with the top personal injury attorney in Ohio.