Information and Insight for Injured Iowans

You’re in downtown Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Davenport or some other Iowa town.  You’re in the middle of the block and want to jump across the street but don’t want to walk to the corner.   Very light traffic – what do you do?  Well, your asking an Iowa personal injury lawyer right now – so, I have lots of horrible accident cases I can give you by example.  Our firm has represented too many pedestrians (or their families) that have been hit by cars in Iowa.  The injuries are devastating – sometimes they are deadly.

According to the Iowa code, “A pedestrian in a crosswalk may rely upon an approaching driver’s duty to yield, but the pedestrian still must exercise ordinary care to avoid being struck by a motor vehicle which was seen or should have been seen. Whenever possible, pedestrians shall walk on the right half of the crosswalk.”  A violation of this law is negligence.  The law also states that “any pedestrian crossing a road at any point other than a crosswalk shall yield the right of way to all vehicles on the road.”
 

Please go to the crosswalk.  Heaven forbid you get hit by a car when you are walking – but if you are in the crosswalk when it happens you should have some redress for your potential medical bills or lost wages.   You are also a lot less likely to get hurt in the first place if you cross at the corner, in the crosswalk.  You want to make sure you adhere to these codes, keeping yourself safe and protected.  As you know, make sure you go over these rules with your children, also. 

If you’ve been hurt in a pedestrian accident, give us a call and we’ll try to answer you questions and address you concerns.  A claim is not barred if the injured person was not in the crosswalk, especially if the person was a child —  you just need to talk to a personal injury lawyer right way to make sure you handle the case appropriately.  Take care and be safe.
Visit our website  www.riccololaw.com to learn what questions to ask your potential  attorney. We have downloadable, free guides on motorcycle, trucking and car accident cases or you can always call without charge or obligation and ask us questions 1-888- 546-6529.

Protecting Yourself After an Iowa Truck Accident Means Taking Photographs

      You have heard the saying, ”A picture is worth a thousand words”?  After an Iowa tractor trailer crash, the right photograph might be the difference between fair compensation for your injuries and leaving the courthouse with nothing.  That is why competent Iowa truck accident lawyers advise their clients to start taking photographs as soon after a semi collision as possible.
      The injury victim or the victim’s family ultimately has the burden of proving how the crash occurred and what damage it caused.
     Even if you believe the investigating officer or an insurance company representative took photographs, you should still get photographs taken on your own. Have all photos taken both up close and from a distance. Have three times as many photographs taken as you think you will need. In particular, get the following types of photos taken:

• Photos of the accident location: Take photos of the scene both from the direction of your approach and from the direction of the other driver’s approach. Take photos of all skid marks and measure them. Take photos of any debris left by the crash before moving it.
• Photos of your vehicle: Do not have your vehicle repaired before it is photographed. Take photos from all angles- the outside, the interior, even the undercarriage
• Photos of your injury: Take photos of all visible injuries. Take photos of all bruises, scrapes, cuts, etc. while they are fresh.
• Photos of your medical treatment: Have photos taken of you in the hospital. Have photos taken of all casts, slings, and bandages. If you are prescribed the use of a wheelchair, walker, or crutches, get photos of those as well.

     When in doubt, take the photograph. If your case has to go to trial, a jury is more likely to award you fair compensation if it can actually see what you have been through.
To read about more ways to protect yourself after a truck accident, go to Iowa Truck Accident Facts to download a free 35-page guide.

The thought of being in a truck accident can cause most of us to cringe. But imagine an even worse scenario: you have to pay for the entire medical and repair bill yourself, even though it wasn’t your fault. Many folks in Iowa believe the myth that if the truck accident wasn’t your fault, somebody else must compensate you for your injuries, and that is just not a guarantee.

     Being able to prove that you have a legitimate personal injury claim after a tractor trailer accident does not necessarily mean that you will be fairly compensated. There also has to be a responsible party with the ability to pay. Any one of the following scenarios can have a negative impact on a semi accident victim’s ability to receive fair compensation:

·         When the negligent truck driver has no insurance

·         When the negligent semi driver does not have assets that can be seized to pay for the accident victim’s damages

·         When the negligent tractor trailer driver does not have enough insurance to cover all of the accident victim’s damages

     That is why it is so important to have sufficient uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage as part of your auto insurance policy. Without it, you and your family may be saddled with a lifetime of medical bills and lost wages after a truck accident.  Many trucks that cross state lines are adequately insured.  Some may not be.

     For the truth behind more dangerous myths about Iowa truck accident claims, download a free 35-page guide at Iowa Truck Accident Facts.

     Most car accident victims will receive a request from an insurance company to sign a medical release form.  Often, an insurance company representative will suggest that his or her company cannot start paying medical bills until it receives a signed medical release. Do not be bullied into signing one of these forms.
     The first thing to realize is that the other driver’s insurance company is not likely to pay any medical bills until you are willing to settle your case once and for all. Signing a medical release or any other insurance company document is not likely to change that. An insurance company is eventually entitled to review records of any medical treatment for which you ask to be reimbursed. In our experience, however, most medical release forms are written in such a way that they give the insurance company access to all of your medical records – even records that are unrelated to your accident injuries.

     Often insurance companies will then turn around and use your pre-accident health history as justification for making a low settlement offer. Our firm protects our clients from this tactic in a number of ways:

·         We advise our clients to avoid giving an insurance company a signed medical release until we have reviewed your medical records first

·         If our review uncovers items in your medical history that may impact your claim, we make sure that you know about them before the insurance company does

·         When we do provide the insurance company with a signed medical release, we make sure that the release only applies to relevant medical treatment

     To learn more ways to protect yourself from unfair insurance company tactics, go to Iowa Car Accident Facts to download a free 35-page guide.