Mississippi Car Accident Lawyers Ready To Stand Up For Your Right To Compensation

Auto accidents happen every hour of every day throughout Mississippi. In fact, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), every 10 seconds of every day, someone in the United States is involved in a car accident. Our Mississippi auto accident attorneys at Kilpatrick & Philley understand that auto accidents can cause emotional, physical, and financial hardships for you and your family. We boast a comprehensive knowledge of state insurance and liability laws and can work tirelessly to see that you and your family receive just compensation for the injuries you have suffered.

A car accident, under any circumstances, is a traumatic event. Whether you’re involved in a minor fender bender that leaves you with cosmetic damage, or a serious auto crash, you have rights. Auto insurance companies are notorious for denying auto accident injury claims or for paying out measly auto accident injury settlements just to make clients go away. In many cases, these settlements are insufficient to cover even your medical bills, and they don’t come close to paying your full damages. No matter your situation, you need tough representation and advocacy.

Making Insurers Pay What Is Owed

A Mississippi car accident attorney can help make sure you get the auto accident injury settlement that you deserve. Don’t waste time dealing with the insurance company. In fact, be careful what you say to the insurance company adjuster about your accident, as the insurance company may later use it against you. The general rule is that you should not give any recorded statements to the other driver’s insurance company.

Kilpatrick & Philley has recovered millions of dollars for clients over the years.
Consult a Mississippi personal injury attorney now at 601-707-4669.

Causes And Common Injuries

Causes of auto collisions range from speeding, drunk driving, recklessness, texting or talking on cellphones, disobeying traffic signals, failing to signal while turning, disregarding weather or traffic conditions, failing to drive on the right side of the road, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, eating, playing with the radio, or just not paying attention to the roadway.

Common car accident injuries include:

• Whiplash
• Broken bones and bone fractures
• Concussions
• Scrapes, cuts and lacerations
• Internal injuries
• Bruises
• Spinal cord injuries
• Loss of limbs
• Back injury
• Brain injuries
• Paralysis
• Death

Any of these injuries can quickly add up to major medical bills. A trip in an ambulance starts around $400 – $500 and can mount to well over $1,000 quickly. Even a brief stay in the emergency room starts around $1,000. Even a relatively minor car accident can quickly add up to $5,000 to $10,000 in medical bills; a major accident can cost up to $200,000 just in medical expenses.

If you don’t have health insurance, this is a daunting number. Even if you do have health insurance, some health insurers refuse to pay auto claims, so you could be left with the bill.

What About Other Damages?

This doesn’t even count the damage to your car, any personal belongings with you in the car, missed time from work or other financial damages. If your car is totaled, that’s another $10,000 in damages. Miss a week or more of work? Depending on your salary, that could range from $500 to $2,000, if not more. If you miss multiple weeks or months, or are unable to return to work at all, the damages can be even more substantial.

Auto Accident ‘Do’s And Don’ts’

Most people have no idea what to do when they have a car accident, which means they can make a lot of mistakes at the accident scene and shortly after. If you’ve been in a car accident, consider these do’s and don’ts for how to handle the insurance company, medical treatment, and your case:

• DO complete a police report as soon as possible.
  In most car accident cases, police respond to the accident and will interview the people involved at the scene of the accident. You’ll tell the police officer what happened, and the officer will file a police report. Don’t leave a scene of the accident until you’ve spoken to a police officer. If you did have an accident and no police officer responded, fill out a police report as soon as possible.
• DO get medical treatment if you’re having health problems or are hurt.
  Far too many auto accident victims don’t get medical treatment for their injuries. You should go to the doctor as soon as possible after you’re injured, for two reasons: to document your injuries, and to begin a course of treatment.
• DO take pictures of your car and your injuries as soon as possible.
  In today’s world of cellphones with cameras and small digital cameras, it’s not uncommon to have a camera with you when you have an accident. Try to take pictures of your accident at the scene of the accident, if possible. Photo-document the damage to your car, the damage to the other person’s car, the way your cars stopped, skid marks and anything else that seems relevant to your accident.
• DO get the names and telephone numbers of witnesses to the collision.
  It is important to get the names, addresses and telephone numbers of all witnesses to the collision because, oftentimes, the person who was at fault in the accident, changes his/her story about what happened.
• DO retain a car accident attorney as soon as possible.
  Don’t wait until you start having trouble with the insurance company to retain a Ridgeland auto accident lawyer. There are critical deadlines you must meet to file an auto accident lawsuit, and waiting too long can jeopardize those deadlines. In dealing with the insurer, you also risk weakening your case.
• DON’T talk to the insurer without consulting your attorney first!
  Auto insurers are experts in finding ways to reduce their liability. Don’t talk to the insurer, or provide a recorded statement or oral statement to the auto insurance company, until you’ve spoken with your attorney. Your attorney will advise you how to best protect your case, and tricks to avoid when speaking with the insurer.
• DON’T discuss liability for the accident!
  Never discuss liability for the accident. If you’re not quite sure what happened, wait until you see the police report and talk with your attorney. Don’t admit fault to the insurer, the other driver or anyone at the scene until you and your attorney have had a chance to review the facts of the accident.
• DON’T be dishonest about your injury.
  Most people err on the side of minimizing their injuries, but it’s important to always be honest about your injury. Don’t say it doesn’t hurt if it hurts, but don’t pretend that your neck is broken, either. Don’t exaggerate your injuries. Insurers oftentimes investigate your auto accident injury claim, so it’s a good idea to be honest from the beginning to make sure you don’t jeopardize your case.

Call 601-707-4669 Today For Proven Advocacy

Need a Mississippi personal injury lawyer? Have you or a loved one been in a car accident in Ridgeland, Jackson, Madison, Canton or beyond? Kilpatrick & Philley can help. Take advantage of a free initial consultation. Ask our team questions. We will provide straight answers and explain what we can do for your case and how we can help you during this stressful time.

No fees unless we recover for you! Contact our firm now at 601-707-4669.