West Jordan Car Accident. I recently represented a client who was involved in a West Jordan Car Accident. I had previously represented this client for another West Jordan car accident. She was hit from behind in both car accidents in West Jordan. This time the damage to her car was not substantial, but still the bumper was dented in. I was recently asked if it seems strange to represent clients who have been involved in multiple car accidents, just like this West Jordan car accident. What I have found over the years is that most of my clients who are in repeat car accidents are doing absolutely nothing wrong when they are in another car accident. For example, in this West Jordan car accident, my client was sitting there stopped at a red-light and she had been stopped for quite some time. She was doing absolutely nothing wrong! This is the same as her first car accident. What could she have done differently that any of us would have done differently to avoid this West Jordan car accident? Nothing. All of us come to a stop at a red light and wait for the light to change. So it seems to me, that those involved in multiple car accidents just seem to have bad luck. Now there can be exceptions to that rule, but I have generally found this to be the case after handling thousands of car accident cases over the years. To further illustrate this point, although it was not a West Jordan car accident, I once represented a client who was involved in three car accidents within a period of a few months. In every car accident, he was at a stop at a red-light or at a stop sign and was hit from behind, although fortunately he was only hurt in one of the car accidents. He did nothing wrong in all three car accidents. Even more strange, he had a bright yellow vehicle, which should have stood out and been far more visible than other cars. If that does not highlight the randomness and fact that some people just seem to have bad luck when it comes to car accidents, I don’t know what...
Read MoreWhat does MY auto insurance do for me when I am in an car accident? If you have the unfortunate circumstance of being in a car accident in Utah, one of the first things you will be asked to show is your auto insurance card or proof of car insurance. It isn’t just illegal to drive a vehicle without auto insurance, it is a bad idea. Auto insurance protects you and those you love if you do happen to be involved in a car crash. Q: Should I keep a copy of my auto insurance card in my vehicle? A: Yes. If you do happen to be in a car accident having your auto insurance information nearby will make the whole situation a lot less stressful. Q: How do I know the amounts my auto insurance covers? A: On your policy you will see things like “25/65/25” or “Bodily injury liability limits of $25,000 per person, $65,000 per accident”. These are numbers you want to know about if the accident was your fault. The 25 in the 25/65/25 example and the “bodily injury liability limits of $25,000 per person” listed in the second example mean that your insurance will pay $25,000 for each person that was injured because of your fault in the accident. This money will go towards paying their medical expenses, lost wages, and suffering. The 65 in the 25/65/25 example and the “$65,000 per accident” in the second example mean that if more than two people were injured in the accident that the most your insurance will cover is $65,000 total. This means that $65,000 will need to be split among all the people involved rather than the insurance paying the per person limit The last number, 25, of the 25/65/25 refers to the amount that insurance will cover of property damage. Keep in mind that these limits are for others, including passengers in your vehicle, but not for you. You would only be entitled to the PIP benefits or no-fault benefits to cover medical expenses. Q: What happens if the costs of the accident exceed what my auto insurance covers? A: It is possible that you can be sued for the...
Read MoreWith Utah’s population continually growing, there are more and more drivers on the road. This is especially the case in West Valley City, which can result in a West Valley Car Accident. Although the sheer number of drivers on the road should not mean there are more accidents, it unfortunately does. You may be a great driver. You may drive defensively, always paying attention to what other drivers are doing. You may follow all safety precautions such as never text and driving, or never driving while distracted. However, this will not ensure that you will never experience a West Valley car accident. I recently represented a client who struck another vehicle that turned left in front of him causing a West Valley City Car Accident. There was no way my client could have missed hitting the car. Sadly, this West Valley City car accident is becoming more common not only in West Valley City, but all throughout Utah. While accidents can not always be avoided, there are things you can do as a driver to minimize the damage to your vehicle and to your body. First, you should ALWAYS where your seatbelt when driving. In the above-mentioned West Valley City car accident, my client suffered from shoulder, neck, back, and chest injuries. These injuries resulted in medical visits and bills that would never have occurred if this accident had not happened. However, had my client not been wearing a seatbelt the injury list would have been significantly longer and could have resulted in life altering injuries or even possibly the loss of a life. Second, never send or read text messages when you drive. As you drive through West Valley or any other city in Utah it is easy to become complacent about paying attention. You have probably driven the same roads hundreds of times. That being said, it does not mean that you don’t need to pay attention. Texting is one of the biggest distractions to motorists. You may have driven the same road many times, but you have never driven with the different motorist you will encounter this time. One driver may choose to turn as you are heading through an intersection and if you are looking...
Read MoreOne of the first questions I get from clients is, “What is my totaled car worth or my total loss car worth?” Or “How much money should I get for my damaged car?” A totaled car is a vehicle that has been declared a total loss by the insurance company or cannot be repaired by the insurance company. What is my totaled car worth is a very good question and important question if you have been in a car accident, especially if you still owe money on your car. You want to know if you are going to get money back for your totaled car or if you are going to be left owing money on your damaged car. In Utah, we look at the comparable sales for getting the car value. What that means, is that we look at what other similar cars are selling for in the same geographic area. The other cars should be the exact same make and model. The mileage, options, and trim level should also be the same or similar. To do this, we frequently we will look at Cars.com, KSL.com, or Autotrader.com to see what other similar cars similar to the totaled or damaged cars are selling for. When looking at what my totaled car is worth, one of the issues that comes up, is whether or not Kelley Blue Book or NADA can give a comparable value for a totaled car. Unfortunately, Kelley Blue Book or NADA can be close to the comparable sales value, but they are not used to determine the comparable sales value. The only proper way to value your car in Utah is the comparable sales value and the insurance companies will not accept Kelly Blue Book or NADA values, absent some unusual circumstances, some of which are discussed below. Older cars often cause difficulties for my clients when looking at what is my totaled car worth. This is there may not be any comparable sales. In those situations, we first start by looking at more car sales from further distances. We will look at the sales of the same make and model within 500 miles instead of 50 miles. If that still doesn’t yield any results,...
Read MoreHow long is too long to wait after a car accident to see a doctor or chiropractor? This is a question that frequently comes up with potential new clients that I talk to. People will often wait to see a doctor after a car accident. When they finally decide to see a doctor or chiropractor and realize they are really hurt, potential clients always want to know if they can still make a claim with the insurance company for their injuries? First, let’s be clear that we are not talking here about the statute of limitations in Utah, which is four years. Technically, you could wait three and half years before seeing a doctor and still be within the required statute of limitations, however, your chances of prevailing on such a claim with the insurance company or in court would be minimal. This is because most people, including jury members, insurance adjusters, or judges, would find it unreasonable to believe someone had been hurt in a car accident and waited that amount of time to get treatment for their injuries. Secondly, we are discussing making a claim for a settlement with the insurance company of the driver that was responsible or at-fault for the car accident, rather than a claim with your own insurance company for no-fault benefits, which has a different statute of limitation and a slightly different analysis. So let’s go back to the original question, “How long is too long to wait after a car accident to see a doctor or a chiropractor?” That depends on why the person waited to see a doctor or chiropractor. Here are the most common response I get from potential clients, along with an analysis of each response. How long is too long to wait after a car accident to see a doctor or a chiropractor because I thought I would get better on my own? The most common response is I get to this question is that the injured person waited to see a doctor or chiropractor because they thought their pain would go away on it’s own. Usually after waiting a couple week or even a couple months, the injured person realizes that the injury will not heal...
Read MoreSalt Lake County car accidents- There were numerous car accidents throughout Salt Lake County because of the recent snow storms. News media reported that there was at least 75 crashes on Wednesday alone with more snow expected on Thursday, December 27th. A couple of the accident involved vehicles hitting police vehicles. The major factor for many of these crashes was driving too fast for conditions. People need to drive slower when there is snow and icy conditions. It is better to get somewhere safe then not to arrive at all. If we all drive a little bit slower , we can avoid these Salt Lake County car accidents. That will make the holiday season more enjoyable for all of us. Even if you are not injured in one of these Salt Lake County car accidents, you still have to deal with the inconvenience of having your car fixed. Is it more important to be a few minutes late to wherever you are going, or better yet to try and leave 15 minutes early, so you don’t have to drive fast in treacherous conditions. One of the biggest Salt Lake County car accidents involved a semi-truck that blocked several lanes of traffic in Draper, Utah on I-15. Apparently another vehicle lost control, as they were driving too fast for conditions, which caused that vehicle to strike the semi-truck. The semi-truck then tipped over And blocked several lanes of traffic. Only the HOV lane was open initially, but after a couple hours 2 additional lanes of traffic were opened. All of the lanes of traffic were not open until later that day for news reports. Once again, please slow down on these snowy days so we can avoid all of these Salt Lake County car accidents. If you are involved in an accident due to the negligence of another driver on a snowy or icy road, please call me for assistance. Car Accidents- KSL...
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