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What to do if you have an auto accident

1. STOP. Stop your vehicle. It is a crime to flee the scene. If the accident is severe, do not move vehicles. If it is a fender bender that will tie up traffic for hours, move vehicles into safe area.
2. Injuries? Check to see if anyone has been injured. If so, call 911. Do not move the person until emergency help arrives.
3. Cooperate with law enforcement. Exchange name, address, and insurance information with the other driver(s). Also, obtain the make, model, year, color and license tag number of all vehicles involved in the accident.
4. Witnesses. If there are witnesses to the accident, be sure to get their names, addresses and telephone numbers before they leave the scene.
5. Photographs at scene. If you have a camera in the vehicle, take photographs of all vehicles involved in the accident, along with photographs of the accident scene itself and paths of travel.
6. Photographs at home. If you do not have a camera, then when you arrive home, take photographs of the damage to your vehicle immediately.
7. Fault. Do not admit fault to anyone at the accident scene.
8. Tickets. If the police officer issues a citation to the other drive at the accident scene, this does not mean that such driver is at fault. It is only the officer's opinion as to what happened and whose fault he/she thinks it is. The officer still has to convince a judge that the ticket was justified if the driver does not plead guilty. The ticket has no bearing on your case. The same result occurs if you were ticketed. The ticket is not proof that you caused the accident.
9. If no police, report accident within 24 hours. If the police do not come to the accident scene, you should make a report of the accident within 24 hours at the nearest police station.
10. Notify Insurance Company. When you arrive home, notify your insurance company via phone that you were involved in an accident. Be prepared to tell the insurance company how the accident happened.
11. Rental Vehicle. If you need a rental vehicle, call us and we will assist you in obtaining a rental car.
12. Vehicle Repair. You may choose where your vehicle is repaired.
13. Medical Attention. If you have been injured, seek medical attention immediately, no matter how minor you think the injury is. It is a good idea to get a medical examination after an accident to be sure that you have not suffered an injury that will not manifest itself until some time in the future, and then you wonder why all of a sudden your back or neck hurts. This happens all too often.
14. Choosing a doctor. You can see whatever doctor you choose. It is often best to start with your general physician. If you need a referral to a qualified physician, please ask us and we will make a referral. Many doctors will not treat injuries caused by a car accident.
15. Daily Log of Complaints. If you have been injured, it is important to keep a daily log of your complaints. This is the best way for us to explain to an insurance company and a jury, if necessary, about how this accident has effected your life. Include descriptions of pain, physical restrictions, a log of doctor visits, and mileage.
16. Wage loss. If you miss time from work to attend doctor's visits or because you are disabled from the accident, please keep a record of time missed. This includes sick time or vacation time used.
17. Medical Bills. Your medical bills will be paid by your own auto insurance carrier up to $10,000.00. This $10,000.00 PIP coverage is mandatory on all Florida insurance policies. The pereson who caused this accident is responsible for any other out of pocket expenses not covered by such PIP coverage. Don't let the medical bills worry you. Please send them to our office and we will notify the medical providers of your pending case.
18. Do I need a lawyer? No matter what kind of accident you have been involved in, you should get a competent legal opinion on your rights and responsibilities that were affected by the accident. At Mark Roman Law Group we can evaluate your case and tell you what to expect. If you decide not to hire an attorney keep in mind that the insurance company will have a battery of claims adjusters and attorneys working against you to minimize your claims. Do not settle your case with an insurance company unless you have had a qualified attorney review the case.
19. Attorneys’ fees and costs. At Mark Roman Law Group we work on a contingency fee basis. What that means is that if we do not recover compensation for you, you owe us nothing. A contingency fee contract is an agreement to pay a percentage of the amount your attorney obtains on your behalf in exchange for the legal representation and expertise of such attorney. This fee is paid from settlement proceeds. We will also pay the up front costs associated with representing you. There are no up front expenses to be paid by you. Again, upon settlement or verdict, our costs will be reimbursed from your settlement.

Our Mission at Mark Roman Law Group is to provide compassionate, aggressive, results-oriented representation to those in need because... We Really Care.

Call us for a free consultation. You can speak with an attorney today. Call us toll free 1 866-999-MRLG (6754). Our initial consultation is free. If we are able to take your case, we will work on a contingent fee basis. This means that if there is no monetary recovery, you owe us nothing.

What type of auto insurance should I have?

At Mark Roman Law Group we encounter clients with inadequate automobile insurance coverage on a daily basis. This could have a major impact on your life. Because of the current state of Florida law, many people are being victimized by the uninsured drivers and under-insured drivers who use our roads. This problem is real, it's serious and it could spell disaster for those who aren't prepared for an accident caused by people who do not have financial responsibility to pay for the consequences of their driving errors.

In part, the problem is caused by existing Florida law which we disagree with. In Florida, the only car insurance required to drive on our roads is “Personal Injury Protection Benefits” (PIP) and Property Damage coverage.

REQUIRED AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COVERAGE IN FLORIDA:

Personal Injury Protection Coverage. If you don't already know, your PIP insurance pays only a portion of your own medical bills or wage loss regardless of who is a fault in causing an accident.

Property Damage Coverage. Your Property Damage insurance will pay someone else for damage caused to their car, and loss of its use if you cause an accident that damages another person's car.

Currently, these are the only insurance coverages required. Keeping in mind that there are several kinds of losses these benefits do not cover, and that these coverages are often dwarfed by the actual losses suffered, you are at risk if you do not have additional insurance coverage.

DAMAGES TO BE RECOVERED:

In Florida, victims of negligent drivers are entitled by law to recover the following basic categories of damages if they are caused by an accident:

• Medical bills in the past and to be incurred in the future
• Wage Loss and other out of pocket expenses in the past and to be experience in the future
• Damage to ones car and a rental car while it is being repaired or replaced
• Money reparations for suffering, pain, loss of quality of life, loss of the ability to enjoy ones life, disfigurement, disability and the like.

THE BOTTOM LINE. WHAT CAN I DO TO PROTECT MYSELF FROM UNINSURED DRIVERS?

Many Floridian's do not have health insurance. The minimum PIP benefit pays only $10,000. It has never been increased since it was created in the 1970's. It isn't realistic to assume PIP will cover all of your medical bills. Bodily Injury (BI) insurance is not required. Large outstanding medical bills can cause financial ruin. Much of the damage categories above are often literally uncollectible when an uninsured driver who has no BI coverage is to blame. But there is a solution. The answer lies in obtaining as much uninsured/under-insured motorist insurance as you can afford.

I urge you to follow this simple advice:

1. Contact your car insurance company or agent to determine whether you have BI insurance.
2. If you have BI insurance, make sure you did not reject UM insurance. (You automatically get UM if you obtain BI).
3. Make sure your UM is “stacking”. Make sure you did not reject stacked UM.(stacking provides significant additional coverage in several situations, even if you only have one car).
4. Get several quotes on your insurance. (The difference between companies can be significant.)

Sadly, we have seen first hand how insurance companies frequently provide customers with poor explanations, and legally inaccurate explanations of how the different coverages work. People regularly reject BI and UM coverage and select “unstacked UM” based on bad information.

Don't be one of them. And don't let anyone talk you out of it.

I realize that all insurance policies are expensive and increasingly so. Still, the consequences of being uninsured or under-insured can be devastating. Purchase the highest UM limits you can afford. In the tragic event of a wrongful death, or catastrophic injury, great losses can go completely uncompensated. It is difficult enough to collect what you deserve from an insurance company after a collision. Having little or no coverage can mean you can't even try.

If you would like more information, or have any questions about uninsured motorist insurance coverage, please feel free to call our offices. We believe this problem would not exist as it does today if Florida drivers were more informed when buying insurance.

Our Mission at Mark Roman Law Group is to provide compassionate, aggressive, results-oriented representation to those in need because... We Really Care.

You can speak with an attorney today. Call us toll free 1 866-999-MRLG (6754). Our initial consultation is free. If we are able to take your case, we will work on a contingent fee basis. This means that if there is no monetary recovery, you owe us nothing.

How Our Clients Refer

What is our purpose?

The Mark Roman Law Group exists to acquire, maintain relationships with and serve its clients. We do this based on a commitment to service and excellence that we have maintained over many years with our clients and in our community. We are a client driven firm. That means that we exist to serve our clients.

How are we different from other law firms?

Unlike firms who obtain their clients through television, bill-boards and media advertising, the majority of our clients come to us through referrals from past and present satisfied and appreciative clients, from other attorneys in our area, from civic and business leaders, and from word of mouth in our community. Our reputation for caring service is widespread.

How do our clients refer friends and loved ones to our firm for legal services?

We want our current and future clients to think of us and say, "It is like having a lawyer in the family." We will communicate and demonstrate to our clients that Mark Roman Law Group is committed to being their most trusted adviser and taking care of their legal concerns and providing solutions. We want our clients to contact us on all legal matters and if the matter falls outside our area of legal expertise, we will stay involved and refer them to other attorneys in our network that specialize in their needed area of service. We also want our clients to feel as though they can refer all friends, loved ones and acquaintances to our firm for legal services. The best compliment we receive is the referral of a client from an existing or former client.

The easiest way to make such a referral is to give our firm name, Mark Roman Law Group, and phone number to your friends and family members. Or, refer them to our website. They can click on the “consider my case” link and communicate with us directly. We will contact them in 24 hours. We have provided you with additional business cards for direct communication. Please feel free to give our cards to those in need. We welcome the opportunity to serve them. Thank you for choosing and referring. - Mark Roman Law Group... We Really Care.