You Need – and Deserve – an Even Playing Field

If you’ve been injured in an auto accident caused by someone else’s fault, you’re entitled to be fairly compensated for your injuries and damages.  This includes reimbursement for medical expenses (past, current and future) — lost wages — pain and suffering – diminished quality of life and disability.  You’re not expecting to hit the jackpot, but you want to be treated fairly.  Please understand this very important point.  The deck is stacked against you – you are not competing on an even playing field!

The insurance company for the at-fault driver is not your friend.  Insurance adjusters have tricks up their sleeve that are designed to persuade you to accept less than a fair amount.  Their goal is to pay you as little as possible and to save the insurance company money — this is corporate greed at its worst!  You need an experienced attorney on your side – Craig Gustafson at Gustafson Law LLC – who will make sure you are treated fairly and that you receive the maximum recovery the law allows under the circumstances of your case.

There’s More to it Than You Might Think

Even relatively straight-forward auto accident cases can involve complex and challenging issues.  For example:

  • Have all the potentially available insurance policies been identified and analyzed to maximize your recovery?  Is there an umbrella policy that might provide more money?
  • What can be done when you are hit by an uninsured driver?
  • How much money is available under the auto insurance policies to pay for your medical bills?
  • What if the other driver claims that you are partially at fault?
  • How do you protect your rights when your injuries are not immediately certain and might materialize several days or weeks after the accident?
  • How do you prove that the other driver was distracted by using the cell phone?
  • How to quickly obtain copies of surveillance video that might have captured the accident?
  • What if you don’t have auto insurance — are you entitled to bring a claim for your injuries?
  • When you receive a personal injury recovery, to what extent are you required to reimburse your medical insurance company for payment of medical bills?

Call now – 816-960-7121 — and speak directly with Craig Gustafson.   Craig has practiced law in Kansas City for over 30 years.  He will provide a free case evaluation and talk with you about what needs to be done now to protect your rights.  Remember – you owe nothing until Gustafson Law gets a recovery for you.

Practical Advice to Protect Your Rights

If you’ve been injured in a car or motorcycle accident, here are your priorities:

  1. Promptly get the medical attention you need. And if you’re wondering whether you’ve been hurt bad enough to get medical treatment, err on the side of protecting your health – go to your primary care doctor, an ER or urgent care facility – don’t put it off until later.
  2. Call the police and report the accident — ask that a police officer come to the scene and make an investigation.  This is critical!  The police report will often contain important information that will be beneficial in maximizing your recovery.  And if for some reason the police do not come to the accident scene, be sure to collect the following information from the at-fault driver:  name, address and phone number, driver’s license number (take photo of the drivers license), name of the insurance agent and phone number (take photo of insurance card), license plate number (take photo), make and model of the car.  Be aware that the at-fault driver may not be completely honest with you – politely ask to see documentation.
  3. Take photos of the automobiles involved in the accident – take photos showing the entire accident scene, making sure to capture everything that illustrates the severity of the collision – and take photos showing your injuries.  Err on the side of taking too many photos.
  4. Get the names and contact information for persons who witnessed the accident.
  5. You may be contacted soon after the accident by an insurance adjuster.  Do NOT give a written or recorded statement to either your insurance company and especially not the insurance company for the at-fault driver.  Before you speak with an insurance company, call Craig Gustafson – 816-960-7121 – and he will personally talk with you about the “do’s and don’ts” of how to protect your rights in your specific car accident situation.