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Civil Litigation
Automobile Accidents
Injury Compensation
Landlord/Tenant
E-Mail
Offices
by Appointment
10480 Little Patuxent Parkway
Suite 400
Columbia, MD 21044
7425 Baltimore & Annapolis Blvd.
Suite 104
Glen Burnie, MD 21061 Mailing
Address
Post Office Box 694
Columbia, MD 21045 Telephone
443-324-5289 Facsimile
410-760-8296
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Civil Litigation
Automobile Accidents
As Soon as the Accident Happens
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Stop your car. Failure to
stop your car may result in serious criminal consequences
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If possible, move your car
so that it does not block traffic
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Call the police. If anyone
is injured, call for an ambulance
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Warn approaching traffic with flares and/or your car's
flashers |
At the Scene of the Accident
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Do not make any statements about who caused the
accident
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Note carefully any statements made by other people
involved in the accident
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From the Drivers License: get the Drivers license
number, state of issue, and date of birth
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Vehicle make, model, year, and tag number. Ask to see
the registration card to confirm this important information
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Name, Address and phone number (home & work)
of the driver
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Name, Address and phone number (home & work)
of the owner of the vehicle
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The insurance Policy Number, the name of the insurance
company, and the agent's name, address and phone number
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Get the names, addresses, and home & work phone
numbers of anyone who saw any part of the accident (witnesses),
or came to the scene afterwards
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Tell the police officer that you want a written report
of the accident. (Sometimes, if no on
appears to be immediately injured, the police will not prepare a
report.) Take down the officer's name, badge number and
department
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If injured, or if you aren't sure if you are OK, go
immediately by ambulance or car to a hospital emergency room. CAUTION:
Due to the shock of the collision, you may not realize how badly you
are hurt. If you are unsure, be on the safe side and go
to the hospital or see your doctor right away. DO
NOT DELAY! You may not be aware of the full extent of soft
tissue injury until days or weeks after the accident. You should have
a doctor familiar with car accident injuries examine you promptly.
Seeing a doctor immediately is very important in getting fair
compensation for your injury. |
Immediately After the Accident
Call Scott Athen at 443-324-5289 (or
your Attorney)! -- The sooner Scott Athen is
brought into the matter, the better he can advise you and protect your
rights.
Scott Athen
will help you process your medical bills, work with the insurance companies
and help you get fair representation.
Describe What Happened -- Write out a detailed
description of the accident, including location, time of day, weather
conditions, description of the roadway, speed limit, traffic lights, stop
signs, etc. The sooner you do this, the more precise your recollection will
be.
Talk to No One -- You should not talk to anyone about your
collision except one of the lawyers or investigators from Scott Athen.
You should always require some identification so that you are sure to whom
you are speaking. You should not even talk to your own insurance company
without notifying Scott Athen first.
Traffic Offenses -- Never plead guilty to any
traffic offenses or pay any tickets in connection with the collision without
speaking with Scott Athen
first. If you receive a ticket, call Scott Athen
immediately, and he will represent or advise you.
Witnesses -- Immediately give Scott Athen the names, addresses,
and telephone numbers of all witnesses to the collision and people who came
to the scene after the collision.
Photographs -- Take pictures of any severe bodily injuries and
damage to your car immediately. This will vividly record what happened. Send
Scott Athen the
negatives and copies of prints of any photographs you have pertaining to the
case. Helpful photographs include those which show damage to your vehicle,
shots of the accident scene and pictures of your injuries.
Car Repair -- If your car has not been repaired, do not do so
until you speak with Scott Athen -
we may want to take pictures or have the car inspected. If it has been
repaired, supply Scott Athen
with copies of all estimates and bills.
Your Doctor -- You should follow as precisely as possible the
advice and course of treatment recommended by your doctor or other health
care providers. Do not minimize and do not exaggerate your ailments to your
doctor or health care provider, as he or she needs to know the true extent
of your problems to best know how to treat you. If you see any additional
doctors or health care providers, be sure to immediately let Scott Athen
know their names, addresses and telephone numbers.
Record of Complaints -- Please
keep a daily or weekly record or diary of your condition and progress.
Record how you feel on a day-to-day basis and how your life is affected by
your injuries. This can be very helpful in dealing with the insurance
company and if a trial is necessary. Again, do not minimize or exaggerate
your problems, write down exactly how you are feeling.
Wages and Earnings Lost -- Please keep an
accurate record of all time lost from work because of your injuries,
including time off to visit doctors and therapists. Please have your
employer send Scott Athen
written confirmation of this and the amount of wages represented by this
time lost. The Scott Athen
needs this information even if you are compensated for your lost pay through
sick leave or vacation time.
Medical Bills -- Keep
copies of all your medical, hospital, therapy and drug bills, and send the
original bills to Scott Athen. You should also keep
records of any other expenses you have in connection with your accident,
such as the hiring of extra help and mileage or taxi fare for visits to the
doctors. All your expenses should be paid by check or you should get a
receipt. If you have health or medical insurance to cover such bills, please
speak with Scott Athen
before submitting bills for payment. If you can pay the amount not covered
by insurance, you may pay your bills, but, again, speak with Scott Athen
prior to doing so.
Questions -- Scott Athen
will probably not contact you on a set schedule but will contact you from
time to time when necessary. That you do not hear from us is not an
indication that we are not working on your file - a great deal of work is
done between the insurance company and the lawyers, and the parties are not
directly involved. If you have any specific questions about your case at any
time, e-mail or call Scott Athen.
Scott Athen can help you get a fair recovery for injuries
suffered in automobile collisions and product liability matters. Please call
Scott Athen at 443-324-5289
or e-mail to set up an appointment. Scott
even make house calls!
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