I Was Hit By An Uninsured Driver in Charlotte – Now What?

It is bad enough to get into an automobile accident that is not your fault, and then you find out that the other at-fault driver had no valid automobile liability insurance.  Unfortunately, uninsured drivers are more common than you would think as over the years the percentage of uninsured drivers has varied from ten to fifteen percent of all drivers on the road.  When you consider the total number of people driving around the United States, and specifically North Carolina and South Carolina, the number of uninsured drivers nationwide is in the millions. North Carolina and South Carolina both require that automobile owners have liability automobile insurance. Unfortunately, some people just get liability insurance for the express purpose of getting their vehicle legally registered, and then either cancel the policy, or stop paying the premiums, which also invalidates the policy.  If the economy is not doing well, and people are stressed for money, not paying expensive car insurance is one of the first things people will do to keep the lights on and a roof over their heads.

If you are hit by an uninsured driver, your uninsured motorist steps into the place of the absent liability insurance company of the at-fault driver.  You might think that your insurance company is going to bend over backwards to help you navigate your uninsured claim.  But, as has been discussed previously, your insurance company is in the business of making money.  How much money they make is simply the difference between the amount of premiums they collect, and the amount of claims that they pay out on.  And, that includes your uninsured claim!

It is normal to think that because you are dealing with your own insurance company that they will treat you fairly, or even better than any other claimant.  But in actuality, your uninsured motorist claim is treated by your insurance company just like any other claim.  You have to prove your case to your uninsured automobile insurance company just like you would if you were dealing with the at-fault drivers’ automobile liability insurance company. 

What Should You Do If You Are Hit By An Uninsured Driver?

Call the police immediately so an accident report is generated, showing the other driver was at fault.  Just because you are dealing with your own insurance company, doesn’t mean they are just going to take your word for it.  They are going to investigate it, and determine fault on their own. 

Report the accident to your insurance company as soon as possible. Often insurance companies do not move at the speed that people would like them to move, so the earlier the process is started the better.

Make sure you see a doctor, or other medical professional, immediately.  Again, the longer you delay seeking medical treatment, the more your insurance company will hold that against you in assessing your damages. The other danger in delaying medical treatment is that the longer the gap is between seeing the doctor, and the date of the accident, sometimes the less able, or less likely, your medical professional is to relate what is going on with you to the motor vehicle accident in question.

Get a property damage estimate as soon as possible, so that you know the amount your insurance company is going to have to pay to get your car fixed.  If your car is going to be deemed a total loss, know the value of your car before speaking to your insurance company about the total loss payment.

Tippens & Zurosky has represented people involved in uninsured auto accidents and hurt on the job, in North Carolina and South Carolina for over twenty years. Let us help you deal with the unexpected, and get your life back on track.  Call us toll free at (877) 372-3580, or 704-343-0018 to schedule a consultation so that we may assist you.    

 

Injured in a automobile accident, or workers’ compensation case? The insurance companies may be watching.

Why Do I Feel Like Someone is Watching Me?

If you have been injured in an automobile accident, or workers’ compensation case, the eyes of the insurance companies and their private investigators are more likely than not going to be on you.  The expression that a picture is worth a thousand words is even truer, if you have an automobile accident case, or workers’ compensation case.  Remember with advanced technology in the form of drones, or hidden digital cameras, private investigators have the ability to get pictures of you while standing right next to you, or from a safe distance.  You could literally be looking right into the eye of a camera, and have absolutely no idea you are doing so!

Why would an automobile liability insurance company want to get you on camera?  Ideally, in their mind you will look like your life has not been affected by your injuries.  Or, better yet, you will do something on camera that you told them you couldn’t do when their attorney took your deposition.

Why would a workers’ compensation insurance company want to get you on camera?  They want to get some video of you doing something that they think does not comply with your doctor’s restrictions.  They want to then send this video to your doctor, and see if he gets mad that you can do more than what you were telling him, and takes all of the work restrictions off of you, thus stopping your workers’ compensation check.

So what should you do to protect yourself?  For one, immediately stop your social media posting, and if your profiles are not private – make them so!  Even the most innocent post taken the wrong way can hurt your case.  Delete all old profiles that may show a less mature side of you that a jury really does not need to see.  But, social media investigation is just one part of the investigation puzzle.  Be aware of who is around you at all times, keeping an eye out for cars and individuals that you know just don’t belong in your neighborhood.  Some investigators are really obvious about what they are doing, but technology now gives them a leg up, making it harder than ever to tell if you are being watched.  The easy solution to this is to assume you are always being watched, and curtail your activities accordingly until your case has been concluded. 

Tippens & Zurosky has knowledgeable, experienced attorneys who can fight for your rights if you have been injured on the job, or in an automobile accident in North Carolina, or South Carolina.  Call us toll-free at 877-372-3580, or at 704-343-0018, for a free consultation.  Let us help you!

Texting and Driving Can Be Fatal. It Can Wait.

The Loss of Polite Society

In a time long ago, people would walk the streets of their towns and cities, and greet each other with a tip of the hat, or warm greeting wishing each other a good day.  Neighbors would pitch in and help each other with watching children, tending crops, and rally together to combat any emergency situation.  Proper manners were practiced by all members of society, and respect was routinely shown for the generations that came before.  And, shockingly at night, people would have conversations with each other, and their children.

Today we shuffle through life as technology zombies, so reliant on our phones for staying connected that we don’t even notice the people we are passing by, and thus cannot connect with in a human fashion.  We use technology as an excuse, burying our faces in our phones to purposely avoid human contact.  In trying to stay connected to our news feed, social media, and text mates, we have succeeded in staying disconnected from the world.  And, it starts at an early age, as today’s toddlers are pacified with tablets and phones, and thus develop the attention spans of mayflies.

We take our phones with us everywhere even when taking out the garbage, or utilizing the washroom.  But, we are exposing ourselves, and those around us, to major danger when we bring our phones into our automobiles, and fail to disconnect.  How many times have you looked over at someone next to you at a traffic light, and saw they were on their phone?  That is of course assuming you looked over in the first place and weren’t staring at your own phone!  How many times have you had to honk to get the person in front of you to recognize that the light had changed from red to green?  The reality is that if you are looking at your phone, you are not paying attention to the road.   Texting and driving can be an all too fatal way to stay connected with your social contacts.  Trying to finish and send an email while driving might even be worse.  Texting and email drivers are distracted drivers.  It only takes a second to cross over the yellow line, catch the edge of the road, or fail to see that traffic has stopped in front of you.  Put down your phone while driving, because your life literally may depend on it! 

So, if all things tend to run in cycles, then perhaps we will go back to a time when people actually talked to one another.  Can you imagine your life without social media, texting, and streaming?  What would that even be like?  Oh, yeah, it would be like the good old days, and maybe then people would treat each other like people, and that can never be a bad thing!      

Tippens & Zurosky represents people injured on the job and in automobile accidents in North Carolina and South Carolina.  Call us toll-free at 877-372-3580, or at 704-343-0018, for a free consultation.  Let us help you!

Resolve to Have a Better Year

The practice of making New Year’s resolutions began about 4000 years ago with the Babylonians, who did theirs in March, not in January as we do today.  They were making promises to the gods, while we most often today make promises to ourselves.  The Babylonians were looking for their gods to help them make things right.  Most people today resolve to do things on New Year’s Eve that they think will help them do things the right way, or become a better person.  Generally, folks are not successful with their New Year’s resolutions, which explain why the gyms and health clubs return to their normal level of business mere weeks after the New Year.  No one ever said trying to be better was easy!

Perhaps, the key to a successful resolution is to make one that you can actually keep.  If you have never liked to read books, resolving to read two or three a week is probably not going to happen.  So, maybe it is a matter of not trying to do more, and not trying to do so at a faster pace than ever before.  Resolve to do what you do well even better by working not longer, but smarter, and more efficiently.  Focus on adding value, not adding activities, or time.  If you do, these are the kind of New Year’s resolutions that you will actually keep!      

Tippens & Zurosky represents people injured on the job and in automobile accidents in North Carolina and South Carolina.  Call us toll-free at 877-372-3580, or at 704-343-0018, for a free consultation.  Let us help you!

Tippens & Zurosky Wish You a Safe and Happy Holiday Season.

It seems that all year we rush to get the kids off to school, rush to work, and rush home.  And the next day, we get up and do it all over again.  Time doesn’t stop churning along, but sometimes we just feel so swept up in the hectic pace of life.  As the year comes to a close, now is the time to reflect back on the year, and either find closure if it wasn’t so great for you, or revel in the pleasant memories you may have of a wedding, birth of a child, or grandchild, or dream vacation.  All things pass, whether good or bad, and all we are ultimately left with is the perspective we gain from the experience.

So, this holiday season have a healthy perspective of your life, and don’t worry about the things, or the people you cannot change.  Instead, enjoy your life for your many blessings, and give thanks to all of those people that make your life a little bit better.  You may find you are the one that makes their lives better too!  Also, enjoy the little things in life, like the fall of the snow, the joy in a child’s eyes, and the unconditional love of your prized pooch.  Life is indeed what you make it, and this holiday season we hope you make your life the very best it can be for you and yours!     

If you get in an auto accident, or are injured on the job in North Carolina, or South Carolina during this holiday season, Tippens & Zurosky is available to serve your auto accident and workers’ compensation needs.  Tippens & Zurosky has represented people involved in auto accidents, or hurt on the job in North Carolina and South Carolina for nearly twenty years.  Let us answer any of your questions regarding any automobile accident, or work-related injury.  Call us toll free at (877) 372-3580, or 704-343-0018 to schedule a consultation so that we may assist you. 

Driving Tips To Stay Safe In The Carolina's This Holiday Season

Darkness Falls Across the Land…

We are rapidly approaching that time of year when Daylight Savings Time forces us to go to work when it is dark out, and return home from work, and school activities after the sun has set.  It seems that we don’t even get a chance to experience any sunlight, unless it is from the windows of our schools, or workplaces.  The madness of rush hour gets even crazier, no matter where you live, and even though our schedule has stayed the same it seems we have less time on our hands to get where we need to be.  So, when your daily routine has you driving around in the dark, don’t fall prey to the temptation to go a little bit faster, and get to your home, or job – a little less carefully.

Since your daylight is literally shorter, start your day just a little bit earlier, so you can get yourself, and your loved ones where they need to be that day.  It is also wise to focus on your surroundings, and if you are passing a school, recreational park, or playground be extra cautious of children that may be playing, or practicing sports for their school, church, or club. The reality is that if you can’t see as well in the darkness that applies to the other drivers on the road too, except those drivers may not be as careful as they should be, and they may cause an accident.

If you find yourself as the victim of a careless driver, and get in an auto accident, or are injured on the job in North Carolina, or South Carolina, Tippens & Zurosky has time for you, and your questions.  Tippens & Zurosky has represented people involved in auto accidents, or hurt on the job in North Carolina and South Carolina for nearly twenty years.  Let us answer any of your questions regarding any automobile accident, or work-related injury.  Call us toll free at (877) 372-3580, or 704-343-0018 to schedule a consultation so that we may assist you. 

On The Road In Charlotte? Put Your Phone Down.

We have covered the dangers of texting while driving in this blog before, yet not a day goes by where you can drive on any street in North Carolina, or South Carolina, and see someone texting while driving.  And, if they are not texting while actually driving, their face is pressed firmly into their phone at any available opportunity such as a stoplight, traffic jam, or even waiting for traffic to clear in front of them.  If you are looking at your phone, you are not paying attention to what is happening around you.  How many parents lecture their children on not texting and driving, yet that rule does not seem to apply to them.

While we are on the subject of phones and texting, let’s expand the discussion into sending texts, or posting reviews on the Internet of businesses you patronize.  The general rule should be to not text, or post anything that you wouldn’t say in person to the person you are sending it to, or posting about.  Some folks feel that technology, and cell phones in general are responsible for the breakdown of common courtesy, manners, and basic person to person communication.

The reality is that it is real easy to text, or post something negative.  In fact, some would argue that texting, or posting actually encourages this behavior, even when the thing being posted about isn’t even warranted.  How many people actually talk to the person they have the issue with anymore?  How many people talk to the manager, or owner of the business they perceive to have slighted them?  The sad answer is most folks are content to just hide behind the screen of their phone, or computer.

Technology is not going away, but you control your use of it, and not the other way around.  Some studies have compared what happens when parents take away all of their kid’s electronic devices to drug withdrawal.  The symptoms were nearly the same!  So, as impossible as it seems to be able to truly disconnect in today’s world, perhaps it would behoove all of us to try.  Who knows?  We might even meet walking down the street, and have a nice good old-fashioned conversation.

Tippens & Zurosky has knowledgeable, experienced attorneys certified in North Carolina and South Carolina, who focus on workers' compensation and automobile accidents.  Call us toll-free at 877-872-3580, or at 704-343-0018, for a free consultation.  Let us help you!

If I've Been In a Car Accident In North Carolina Should I See a Doctor?

Hurt in a Car Accident – See a Doctor!

If you are in an automobile accident in North Carolina, or South Carolina, it is important that you seek the medical care you need as soon as possible.  We have seen folks with serious injuries decline going to the hospital in an ambulance after the automobile accident out of concern for other family members, or what will happen with their automobile.  A late night trip to the emergency room can be the end result of this decision.  So again, seek medical treatment as soon as you can, or you may come to regret your choice!

Just as important as getting checked out for your injuries by a medical professional after an automobile accident, is making sure to seek follow up care if needed.  If the hospital recommends that you see your family practitioner, or another medical specialist, it is imperative that you do so.  We have seen circumstances where people were literally walking around with undiagnosed broken bones, and other serious injuries.  The longer you delay seeking medical care just doesn’t have implications on your health.  Insurance companies use large gaps in treatment against you when evaluating your claim, under the guise that if you truly needed the treatment you would have gotten it.  This tactic basically punishes those who cannot afford medical care, can’t miss time from work, or simply are trying to tough through what turns out to be a serious injury.

   

So, if you are in an automobile accident in North Carolina, or South Carolina, call Tippens & Zurosky.  We have knowledgeable, experienced attorneys who can fight for your rights during this often long and difficult automobile accident process.  Call us toll-free at 877-372-3580, or at 704-343-0018, for a free consultation.  Let us help you!

Tips For a Safe Holiday Season in the Carolinas

Wishing You a Safe and Happy Holiday Season

It is hard to believe that the holidays are just around the corner!  In the next several weeks, we will be enjoying precious time with family, friends, and co-workers.  We will also be on the road in the dark more, hustling from school events, and holiday parties, and travelling to malls and outlets to do holiday shopping.  During this time of year, we might even get our first chilly blast of icy or snowy weather, turning the roads and highways into a frozen, scary adventure!  So, make sure that you give yourself enough time to travel safely, and watch out for drivers travelling too fast for the road and weather conditions.  Remember even four wheel drive isn’t very useful on a patch of sheer ice!  Also, if the weather is that bad -- ask yourself if you really do need to go out at that time – and just maybe that little bit of caution will keep you from causing, or getting into an accident.

If you are attending an office or family holiday party, always use a designated driver if you are going to be celebrating with a little too much holiday cheer.  Night time, slick roads and drinking and driving can be a potentially fatal combination.  If you are travelling at night, or on the weekends during the holiday season, please be cautious and remember that just because you are choosing to act safely and responsibly, others folks may not be acting in the same way, and are a hazard on the road due to their holiday intoxication.

If you get in an auto accident, or are injured on the job in North Carolina, or South Carolina during this holiday season or any time, Tippens & Zurosky is available to serve your auto accident and workers’ compensation needs.  Tippens & Zurosky has represented people involved in auto accidents, or hurt on the job in North Carolina and South Carolina for nearly twenty years.  Let us answer any of your questions regarding any automobile accident, or work-related injury.  Call us toll free at (877) 372-3580, or 704-343-0018 to schedule a consultation so that we may assist you.