PART 2
Last week I shared, that in high school, many of us had to read about Julius Caesar and the Ides of March. It was a day in the Roman calendar that corresponds to 15 March. It was marked by several religious observances and was notable for the Romans as a deadline for settling debts. The phrase, “Beware the Ides of March,” is the soothsayer’s message to Julius Caesar, warning of Caesar’s death/assassination in 44 BC.
Since that time, the idea stuck that the Ides of March is unlucky or a portent of doom—even if your name isn’t Caesar. The Latin root of “ides” means “to divide,” so ides basically just denotes the middle of the month.
Getting arrested for a DUI or being in an auto accident, is certainly an unlucky day for any of us. Historically there are more DUI FATALITIES in the Coachella Valley, per capita, than anywhere else in California. Thus, it is logical that DUI arrests and fatalities spike during the Tennis and Coachella season. Naturally, our law enforcement agencies become more vigilant on these weekends. That means I have to stay close to my phone for clients that need assistance with an Injury Accident and or a DUI.
Accident victims think they will be ok in a day or two and innocently talk to the insurance adjuster and go to their family doctor. Doing both damages their case. Because of this, many lawyers reject these cases. I have explained this in a previous article… “Mr. Gribow, Why Won’t You Accept My Accident Case?”
Some victims are afraid of getting in an ambulance or seeing a doctor and getting billed. They do not realize the insurance company, for the ‘at fault’ party, will pay for these bills. Most drivers have medical payments coverage in their auto policy and or Health Insurance that will also pay up to their coverage limits.
Many prospective clients do not know their policy limits or cannot find their policy. It is important to know this information because it is common in the CV for the other driver to not have insurance. If so, we would present an uninsured motorist (UM) claim against our clients own policy. So be sure you have Uninsured Motorist and Underinsured Motorist auto insurance coverage.
It is important to note, that a medical provider is primarily concerned with getting paid for his/her work, as is the hospital or urgent care. If the injured party cannot find their policies, they often resort to using a credit card to pay for treatment … or being refused service. An experienced lawyer can often get medical treatment on a lien.
Typically, no one advises the victim that they should see a doctor right away to document the injuries, let alone to have the victim prepare a summary of their injuries. When preparing this summary, the victim should write down their symptoms/injuries by starting with the top of their head and moving to the bottom of their toes.
Additionally, the victim should see a medical provider they have not seen before. This is because their current medical providers have records that document prior injuries, alcohol or drugs issues, psych referrals, STD’s, abortions etc. Though these records have nothing to do with the accident, many jurors will incorrectly think less of the victim on account of these issues.
I advise my clients to not post anything on social media after an accident. The last thing you want is for the insurance company to find your client’s posts of their playing tennis, golf, skiing or running in a marathon, while they complain they cannot do anything because of the amount of pain they are encountering.
Because of the mistakes and challenges listed above it is hard to maximize the value of those accident cases, and they often result in a smaller settlement. As a result many lawyers reluctantly reject these cases.
DALE GRIBOW – Representing the injured and criminally accused
“TOP LAWYER” – California’s Prestige Magazine, Palm Springs Life (PI/DUI) 2011-23
“TOP LAWYER” – Inland Empire Magazine
PERFECT 10.0 AVVO Peer Rating
5 STAR
“DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE OR TEXT AND GET A DUI OR ACCIDENT… CALL A TAXI, LYFT OR UBER….THEY ARE A LOT CHEAPER THAN CALLING ME”
