Archives for April 2017

Should I Hire a Car Accident Lawyer?

April 21, 2017 By admin Leave a Comment

A big decision you need to make after being involved in a car accident is whether or not you need to retain the services of a car accident lawyer. There are several things to consider before making this important decision. The last thing you want to do is potentially hurt your claim by attempting to negotiate and resolve the matter on your own, and then later realize that you should have used an attorney from the get-go.

A good general rule of thumb to use is to determine whether or not you sustained any personal injuries in the accident. If not, and the only damages were to your vehicle, then you do not need an accident injury lawyer. Even if you sustained minor injuries, it never hurts to get a professional legal opinion from an accident injury lawyer as to whether you should retain their services or handle claims with the insurance companies on your own.

Keep in mind, there are several other reasons and benefits for hiring a car accident lawyer which you can read about in greater detail in the following infographic. Remember to contact the accident lawyers at Schechter, McElwee, Shaffer & Harris, L.L.P. if you have any further questions.

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What to Do in a Single-Vehicle Accident

April 11, 2017 By admin Leave a Comment

Unlike traffic accidents in which two or more vehicles collide on the road, single-vehicle accidents are those in which a single car leaves the road, hits an animal/fallen rock, rolls over, or experiences some other trauma. Whatever the cause, being involved in a single-vehicle accident can be terrifying, complicated, and, unfortunately, expensive. In this blog post, we’ll discuss what you should do if you find yourself in a single-vehicle accident.

Keep Calm and Get to Safety

This can be incredibly hard to do after you’ve hit a deer or been in a roll-over, but it’s important that you keep your wits about you as much as possible to ensure that you handle the situation properly. If the accident was particularly serious, and you believe staying in the car may be dangerous (if you notice smoke or gas leakage, for example), try to get yourself to safety. If you’re physically unable to leave the car but can get to your phone, call 911.

Seek Medical Attention, if Needed

Check yourself for injuries and take a moment to consider whether you’re seeing and thinking clearly (non-visible injuries like concussions can often be overlooked). If you have any injuries that need immediate attention, call for an ambulance.

Get a Police Report

Even if the accident is relatively minor, it’s important that you call your local authorities and get a police report. This can be quite helpful when dealing with your insurance company, as it may provide evidence to illustrate exactly what happened and/or that it occurred due to no fault of your own.

Be Forthcoming but Cautious

When speaking with the police, it’s important that you’re careful about what you say. This is not to say that you should withhold information, but you should take care not to accidentally implicate yourself in things like negligent driving or driving under the influence. Even if you think the accident was your fault, you don’t want to admit fault right away.

Take Photos and Notes, as Needed

It may be valuable to immediately record what you remember from what happened, including any strange experiences you may have had with the vehicle before the accident occurred. In some cases, single-vehicle accidents can be caused by a vehicle malfunction, and it’s important that you have something to support the argument that it was not related to driver negligence or impairment.

Seek the Help of a Professional Car Accident Attorney

Due to the complexities involved in dealing with car insurance companies and other accident-related issues, it’s important that you have the legal support of an experienced auto collision lawyer like those at SMS Auto. Your attorney will be able to help you navigate the situation properly and get the best possible result from your insurance company so that you can get back to life and back on the road.

For a free consultation with one of our experienced accident lawyers, call us today at (713) 574-5089.

How NOT to Fall Asleep While Driving a Semi-Truck

April 6, 2017 By admin Leave a Comment

If you drive a semi-truck for a living, we all know that both the days and nights can be grueling. If you are sleep deprived, it can almost feel as if you are hallucinating. It is important that you get in the habit of certain eating routines and activities in order to assure that you maintain a steadfast alertness throughout your drive.

It is recommended that you eat healthy meals, drink plenty of water, and snack throughout your drive. Foods like nuts and apples provide nutrition and natural remedies to help you focus. By avoiding sugary beverages like energy drinks or sodas, you avoid crashing. Healthy food is proven to help you maintain focus and awareness, especially by adding superfoods into your regular eating routine.

Also, being well rested before your drive plays a crucial role in starting your trip out on the right foot. If you need to pull over to take a power nap or perhaps roll down the windows to let that cold air wake you up, then don’t hesitate!

It is best to keep your life and the lives of others safe while on the road. If you were to end up in a sticky situation, it’s important that you call auto accident lawyers immediately. Don’t wait, as auto accidents are time sensitive!

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Our Experience SMSH has more than 100 years of combined trial experience. We have helped 1000's of clients across the United States.	Millions Of Dollars Recovered We have recovered more than $720 million for injury victims. We also obtained the largest settlement paid by U.S. government to an injured worker.
Recognized In The News SMSH has been featured in Bloomberg, CNN, MSNBC, Newsweek, and the AP among other national news sources for our work as personal injury attorneys.	Board Certified Injury Lawyers The lawyers of SMSH maintain their certification largely through their active and aggressive personal injury trial practice involving a variety of cases.
Award Winning Trial Attorneys We have have been recognized nationally for our work as Personal Injury attorneys by Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, Avvo 10 Ratings, and Houstonia Top Lawyers awards.	Many Satisfied Clients “I would recommend anybody to Mr. Harris. He did a fine job of walking me through the process of recovery. I had no idea that I would get the substantial settlement I did and I thank you with all of my heart.” - Roy Guerrero