Did you know that over 2.3 million people were injured in car accidents last year according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration? When it comes to auto accidents it’s not a matter of if it will happen to you, but when it will happen to you. In order to protect yourself better, the St. Louis Metro East Law Firm of WWF&G has created a seven-step guide of better protecting yourself if you are a victim of an auto accident.

1. Stop Your Car. It is the law to stop your vehicle after an accident. If you fail to stop you may subject yourself to criminal prosecution. Stop your car as soon as possible without further endangering any person or property, and without obstructing traffic.
2. Safety First. Make sure that everyone is okay. Render aid to anyone in need. Call 911 for an ambulance or for police assistance.
3. Take a Breath. Once the accident has occurred there is nothing you can do and to change the situation. It is better for you to keep your cool and make sure that all parties are okay. Remaining polite will ease the tension of the situation. Ultimately, you may be entitled to a recovery, but a jury is not going to want to help someone who acts inappropriately at an accident scene – accidents happen.
4. Call the Police. You should call the local authorities to file a police report. Police officers are trained to handle situations that may result from or arise after an accident. Having a police report can help speed up the process of filing your insurance claim and provides more information for your attorney to file a suit or defend your case.
5. Gather Information & Photos. While you are waiting on the police you should gather as much information about each driver, witness, vehicle, and location from the accident. If you happen to have a camera or camera phone be sure to take pictures of vehicle damage, license plates, injuries, and the location.
6. Treat With A Doctor As Necessary. If anyone is injured, have them take an ambulance or see a doctor immediately. It is better to be safe than sorry. A delay in treatment can be treated negatively by an insurance company evaluating your claim, and ultimately a jury.
7. Consult With An Attorney. To assure the best overall results from your incident you, consult a lawyer of your personal choice. Most attorneys will give you a free consultation on this type of case. Your insurance company will always be represented by trained adjustors or by an attorney, and they may take advantage of you.

If you or a family member has been injured in auto accident, please feel free to contact WWF&G for a free consultation at 618.462.1077. We handle numerous cases similar to yours, and deal with insurance companies on a daily basis. We will maximize your financial recovery while you maximize your recovery from injuries.

The federal government estimates that 30% of all vehicle accidents in the U.S. are caused by driver distraction. This includes not only talking on the phone, but texting as well. Text messaging, or texting, is a term referring to the exchange of brief written messages between mobile phones, over cellular networks. It is very common among teenagers.

The State of Illinois has taken appropriate action. The Associated Press reports that Illinois has outlawed texting while driving. Illinois motorists will be issued a ticket if they send a text message or read their messages while their car is moving.

The law will be controversial because it does not outlaw reading navigation systems, but does outlaw texting.

Drivers are allowed to check messages if they pull over to the side of the road or are at a standstill in traffic, for instance at a train crossing when their car is in park or neutral.

Governor Quinn signed the bill at a ceremony at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago with Secretary of State Jesse White.

The law firm of WWF&G regularly represents clients who are injured as a result of driver distraction. During a deposition in one case, it was confirmed that the Defendant driver of a vehicle was arguing with his wife on a cell phone, when he ran a stop sign at 70 mph. Not only did he cause severe and permanent injuries to the Plaintiff, but he was killed in the accident.

The law firm of WWF&G takes a hard stance against drivers who ignore the safety of others. Many drivers will deny the use of cell phones during an accident. However, we regularly subpoena cell phone records of Defendant drivers to confirm or deny if the defendant driver was talking or texting at the time of an accident. If you or your family have been injured as the result this type of accident, please contact our firm for a free consultation at 618-462-1077.

In Illinois, the minimum liability limit for motor vehicle coverage is $20,000 per person. It is commonly called a 20/40 policy, meaning that the insured is covered up to $20,000 per person that is injured, but no more than $40,000 to all injury victims per occurrence. This means if several persons are injured, they will be splitting $40,000. In blue collar areas such as Madison County, Illinois and Alton, Illinois, many drivers have these high risk policies.

Insurance companies, such as Affirmative Insurance, who write these policies do not give much protection to their insureds. The insureds are personally liable for all damages over the limit. For example, if a jury awards $50,000 in damages to an injured party, the insurance will pay their limit of $20,000, and the insured is personally liable for the additional $30,000.

Many drivers do not know what type of coverage they have or their liability limits. You should check your policy or speak with your insurance agent. Most good insurance companies will not write a 20/40 policy, and will not recommend this type of policy.

If you are injured by an insured with a 20/40 policy, expect a fight. They will often times fail to pay good claims, leaving injured parties with climbing medical bills and lost wages uncompensated. Further, they do not protect the personal assets of their insureds by getting the case settled within the policy limits – leaving their insureds exposed to personal liability.

How can you protect yourself against a driver with low limits? Increase your “underinsured/uninsured motorist coverage”. All auto coverages provide coverage if you are injured by a driver without insurance (uninsured driver) or a driver with lower limits than you have (underinsured claim). For example, if you have a 100/300 policy, and sustain serious permanent injury in an auto accident, you will be covered by your own policy up to $100,000. This is how it works. If you are hit by an uninsured driver, your policy will protect you up to $100,000 as if the other driver were insured. If you are injured by an insured driver with a lower limit than you (“underinsured“), such as 20/40, your insurance company will cover you for the difference between their policy and your policy – in this case an additional $80,000.

This type of coverage is cheap. Ask your agent to increase your uninsured and underinsured limits. The more you have, the more you are protecting yourself regardless of the insurance liability limits of another driver. You can get limits of 100/300, 250/500, 500/1,000 or more – discuss this with your agent.

The law firm of WWF&G represents numerous victims of auto accidents, many who are injured by uninsured or underinsured drivers. We recently met with a man who was a passenger involved in a one car accident, where he lost all of his fingers on his dominant hand. He is a laborer from the Alton, Illnois area, and will no longer work again. Even though his medical bills will be over $100,000, the driver had a 20/40 policy. Further, the injured man did not have car insurance or other insurance to protect himself. Under these circumstances, he will most likely recover $20,000 of insurance and nothing else, unless the other driver can pay – this is usually not the case.

If you or a loved one is injured in a motor vehicle accident, please do not hesitate to contact WWF&G for a free consultation at 618-462-1077. We will do everything we can to maximize your recovery.