The insurance companies do not want you to call the police after an accident.  There are many reasons for this.  Number one, it creates a record of the event so the insurance company cannot deny later on that the accident actually happened.  Yes, they do that.  Believe it or not, they will sometimes deny that an accident actually occurred, or their client will say, "Hey, I wasn’t there.  I have no idea what you’re talking about." They’ll deny the accident even occurred.  If you have a police report, that goes a long way to establishing that the accident actually happened and who was actually there at the scene.  

Also, if you complain of pain at the accident scene, the police report will often have that complaint of pain which is very good because the insurance company can no longer later on say, "Hey, you never complained of this pain before" or "You didn’t complain of pain from the accident."  Well, it’s right there in the police report:  Day One, complaints of pain from the accident!  In fact, sometimes it’s frustrating for me because my clients don’t complain of pain at the accident scene.  They complain about the pain later on, and the insurance company will use the absence of complaints at the accident against you as well.  So it’s always in your best interest to tell the officer if you have any pain, even if it’s minor.  Also, the police report will have important witness information and other valuable info and it’s almost always a great idea to get a police report.  The insurance companies don’t really like it though.

If you need help with your personal injury case, call Santa Clarita attorney Robert Mansour at (661) 414-7100 for a consultation.

A client came to my office this week to explore her legal options after a vehicle turned left right in front of her. The accident was moderate in nature...certainly not a minor fender bender. She was walking with a stiff gait and was obviously in pain.

While we were evaluating her legal options, I also told her about the possibility of proceeding without an attorney. After all, you don't HAVE to hire a lawyer to assist you with your case. There is no law mandating that you do so.

However, when I explained to her that I would be the one to deal with the insurance adjuster, and I would be the one to act as her liaison, she was very glad to hear it. She said, "I just want to go to my doctor and get better....I don't want to talk to these insurance people any more. They keep calling my house, leaving messages, asking for statements and information...."

In her opinion, having a lawyer handle the case and talk to the insurance adjusters was very reassuring. She wanted to focus on her injuries...and not hassling with insurance adjusters. She hired me to handle the case, and she got an immediate return on her decision - peace of mind!

In some cases, having an attorney handle your case can allow you to breathe easier, knowing that you have delegated the job to someone with experience. That way, you can focus on what's important - getting better!

If you have a serious accident in the Santa Clarita area (including Valencia, Saugus, Canyon Country, Castaic, Stevenson Ranch, Newhall, and surrounding areas) and you'd like to discuss your legal options, call Santa Clarita personal injury attorney Robert Mansour at (661) 414-7100 for a free candid and honest evaluation of your legal options.

Whenever I get a new personal injury client, I always remind them to keep all their doctor's appointments and to fully complete their medical treatment.  In my experience, many clients simply stop going to the doctor after a while because life gets in the way. In other words, they are too busy, work is too hectic, or they have too many other obligations.  They simply stop going to the doctor and they are never formally discharged from care.  Sometimes, they stop going to physical therapy for the same reasons.  

I totally understand that life is complicated and scheduling doctor's appointments can be very difficult.  However, if you stop going to the doctor, juries and insurance adjusters will assume you stopped going because you must be healed from your injuries.  If you have an injury, you should seek medical treatment until you are healed and/or until a doctor formally discharges you from his/her care.  Also, if your doctor suggests you return if you still have pain, ask the doctor how long you should wait before coming back to see them if the pain doesn't go away or resurfaces.  That way, when you return for care, you are truly following the doctor's instructions and recommendations. 

Always remember, insurance companies don't care how busy you are.  They don't care how hard it is to find time to go to the doctor.  You don't get reimbursed for how hectic your life is or has become after an auto accident.  The insurance companies are looking for reasons not to pay your claim.  If they see you simply stopped going to the doctor on your own volition, that will be used against you.  They will assume the reason you stopped is because you were healed.

If you need help with your personal injury case, call Robert Mansour at (661) 414-7100.  Robert serves Santa Clarita and its communities of Valencia, Saugus, Canyon Country, Castaic, Newhall, Stevenson Ranch and surrounding areas.

When I interview clients regarding their personal injury case for the first time, I will always ask about their car insurance.  First, I want to make sure they had it - if not, their recovery will be severely limited for violating California's financial responsibility laws.  Second, I want to learn what coverage was available so I can best advise my clients of their options.  Many of my clients will automatically say, "Oh, I had full coverage."  However, few of them really know what that means.  While some may consider themselves to have "full coverage," they might find out it wasn't that "full" after all.

In California, there are two kinds of auto insurance.  First, the required basic coverage is what many people have.  That provides $15,000 per incident to an injured party for their bodily injury, $30,000 total payments if there are more than one person injured per incident, and $5000 for property damage to another's vehicle.  This is what your insurance company will pay. In some cases, you will be on the hook for the balance.  

Second, optional coverage includes "uninsured motorist" (UM) and "underinsured motorist" (UIM).  These two coverages are very important if the party at fault had no insurance or not enough insurance to cover your damages.  Get at least $30,000/$60,000 in such coverage.  I would recommend buying what you can comfortably afford because so many folks out there are driving without insurance, either deliberately or by mistakenly letting their applicable insurance policy lapse.  You can also carry comprehensive and collision coverage.  The amount necessary is basically determined by the value of your car.  This will pay for damage to your car even if the other party had insurance.  Your insurance will fix your car then go after the opposing insurance company for reimbursement.  However, you may incur a deductible when utilizing your own comprehensive and collision coverage for repairs.  Finally, "Medical Payments Coverage" (MPC) will pay for your medical bills in most cases, up to a certain amount - usually $2000 or $5000.

When my clients say they have "full coverage," we often learn they only have liability coverage to pay the other party for damages.  They don't have UM or UIM coverage.  They don't have comprehensive and collision.  They don't have "medical payments coverage" which will pay for their medical bills much sooner than other avenues might pay.  Also, they might have very minimal coverage but still consider themselves "fully" covered.  Therefore, make sure you understand what kind of car insurance you have.  Carefully examine your declarations page (the page which summarizes your coverage) with your insurance professional and ask yourself, "Can I comfortably afford more coverage?" In my opinion, medical payments coverage and UM/UIM coverage are the most overlooked options, yet they are perhaps the most important options to have.

If you need help with your personal injury case, call Robert Mansour at (661) 414-7100.  Robert serves Santa Clarita and its communities of Valencia, Saugus, Canyon Country, Castaic, Newhall, Stevenson Ranch and surrounding areas.