Should you contact the other driver’s insurance company after an accident? Memphis personal injury attorney Darrell Castle explains. httpv://youtu.be/I4xMA3KRjJ8 Text: Should I contact the other driver’s insurance company after an accident? Not if you’re going to have a lawyer. If you’ve been injured, you need an attorney. That attorney should do all of that for you. You should not talk to them in any way if you have an attorney. If you’ve made the decision not to hire an attorney, then yes, you’re going to have to talk to them. But just keep in mind that they’re not on your side; they’re on their side. So be very careful what you say to the other side’s
When you’re involved in a Memphis car accident, after ensuring everyone’s safety, one of the most important things that can be done is documenting the scene with photos. The police will take pictures when they arrive, but you can also take some of your own before they get there. However, the number one thing to remember is this: if it isn’t safe for you to take pictures at the accident scene, don’t put yourself in harm’s way! While this post contains advice on taking car accident photos, if you can’t do it yourself safely, then just consider these guidelines an explanation of the photos the police are taking. Why Are Car Accident Pictures Taken? Put simply, pictures taken after a
Lousie King’s husband was killed by a drugged up driver in Montana. That driver did not have insurance. When King submitted the claim to GEICO, her uninsured motorist policy carrier, the insurance company tried to pay half of what it owed under her policy in exchange for the release of all claims. King refused to sign the release and GEICO, in turn, refused to pay her any of the insurance money they admitted she was owed. She, appropriately, filed suit. In trial, GEICO claimed they handled the claim properly and in good faith. However, the federal jury unanimously disagreed, claiming the company absolutely acted in bad faith. King was awarded $200,000 in contract damages from her policy in addition to
What happens when your truck or car accident is caused by a road defect? Memphis car accident lawyer Darrell Castle explains what might count as a poorly maintained or defective road. What happens when a road defect causes my car or truck accident? In a car or truck accident with a road defect, if a road defect causes the accident then perhaps you have a case against the road builder or the designer of the road, or something else. There are so many things that make up the term “defective road.” It could be a stop sign that was allowed to lean forward or backward so that it could not be seen and the driver ran a stop sign –
USA Today reported this morning that GM issued three new recalls, all of which are unrelated to the recent ignition switch recall. This new recall involves nearly 1.5 million vehicles. Last month’s ignition switch recall involved 1.37 million US vehicles and resulted in lawsuits. It also resulted in federal investigations after reports surfaced claiming that GM knew about the faulty switch as early as 2001 but didn’t report the problem. GM knew of 31 car accidents and 12 deaths from the faulty ignition switch. However, there have been no reports of such car accidents or deaths caused by the following new recalls, all of which couldn’t be connected to the earlier recall: Seat-mounted side airbags could fail due to a
General Motors has been in the news recently for recalling their automobiles with defective products. What happens when these products injure people? Video Transcript Hello, this is Darrell Castle. I’m an attorney licensed to practice law in the state of Tennessee and on this video, I’m talking about automobile accidents that are caused by defective products – not by other cars. In other words, someone has an accident. It could be a one car accident. It could be someone else’s fault. It could be the driver of that car’s fault. It doesn’t matter because the person we’re accusing of the accident, or the item rather, is a defective product, like a tire. A tire explosion, a lawyer would refer to
How long do I have to file a car accident lawsuit? The length of time to file a car accident case – the statute of limitations is what we’re talking about. The statute of limitations varies from one state to another. In Tennessee, where I do most of my work, it’s one year from the date of the accident. In Missouri, where I also work, it’s five years from the date of the accident. So you have to be very careful. Get an attorney; let them investigate your case. There are other reasons for doing it early, like interviewing witnesses, preserving evidence – things like that, that tend to dry over time. And the statute of limitations – the time
Question: I was recently in a car accident, and now the other driver’s insurance company has offered a settlement. Should I take it? As an attorney, I can tell you that if the other driver’s insurance has already offered a settlement, that means that you’ve given them statements about what happened, and they see the liability on their driver’s part. So I guess the answer to your question is: that depends on how much the settlement is. And you should talk to an attorney about that. An experienced car accident lawyer Memphis, TN trusts from our firm can help you get the compensation you deserve. Believe it or not, there are plenty of situations where you talk to an attorney
Don’t fall for subprime car loans! By: Darrell Castle If you’re in debt and can’t afford to pay your bills, you need to speak to an experienced bankruptcy attorney. Darrell Castle & Associates was awarded multiple Client Distinction Awards for client satisfaction and wants to help YOU! Call us today at (901) 327-2100 or fill out one of the contact forms on this page. Video Transcript Hello, this is Darrell Castle. I’m an attorney licensed to practice law in the state of Tennessee and on this video today, I’m talking about an article that appeared on the front page of the New York Times last Sunday. This article was about subprime loans for automobiles. That’s right – automobiles. This time
You need to look out for this when buying a car By: Darrell Castle A recent New York Times article revisited the new fad of subprime car loans and how it hurts lower-income consumers. If you recall, this is where car dealers inflate a prospective buyer’s income and credit information so they are then approved for car loans they can’t afford. These car loans sometimes have interest rates in the 20s, which effectively raises the value of the loan higher than the actual car. This New York Times editorial mentioned the “yo-yo” effect in which a dealer gives a buyer one interest rate for a loan, let’s him or her drive the car around for days or weeks, then