Category Archives: Car wrecks

What if your auto insurance expired?

Posted on by

Can you sue for injuries you receive in an auto accident even if your own insurance policy has expired?

Those who cause damage to others are responsible, under the law, to pay the injured person a sufficient sum of money to “make them whole.” The primary purpose of the insurance you buy for your own vehicle is to protect you from having to pay others for the damages and injuries you cause to them by your negligent actions–with limited exceptions, your insurance doesn’t pay you for your injuries, it protects you from the financial risk of having to pay someone you have injured. So, if the other party caused the accident, you can recover from them the reasonable value of your damages and injuries, regardless of whether you had insurance on your vehicle, or were driving on an expired license or expired tags. Keep in mind that the law of contributory negligence may apply to restrict all or a portion of your recovery if you shared in the responsibility for causing the accident. In Iowa, as long as the other party was more at fault than you, your injuries are still compensable, even if you were partly to blame for the accident. The bottom line is that whether you had insurance or not, you may be able to recover for your injuries, even if you think you were partly at fault in causing the accident. This depends on the law of your state and the facts of your case, so always consult an experienced personal injury lawyer after any accident in which you or a loved one is injured.

Call me today if you need help recovering for injuries you received in an auto accident. I will determine the responsibility of the other party and get you the money you deserve.

Don’t “just pay” that traffic ticket!

Posted on by

Never plead guilty to a traffic ticket issued in connection with an auto accident.

Many people just pay their traffic tickets without giving a second thought to the consequences. In Iowa, if you get a ticket in connection with a car wreck or other accident you should NEVER just plead guilty and pay the ticket. Why? Iowa Code Section 321.489 provides that the record of a CONVICTION of a violation of Chapter 321 (Iowa’s traffic code) is inadmissible in any subsequent civil action. However, the record of a guilty plea is admissible. So if you just pay the ticket, and later you get sued for causing the accident, your own negligence (due to speeding, running a stop sign, or other traffic violation) will be simple for the opposing party to prove. They can use your conviction record to prove you actually did what the ticket charged. But, if you go to trial and the judge finds you guilty, the record of conviction from the case becomes inadmissible at the later civil trial. So next time you get a ticket, EVEN IF YOU ARE GUILTY, enter a not guilty plea and show up for the trial. Often there are multiple causes of an accident, and by pleading guilty to a traffic offense, you may limit your ability to recover for your own injuries by giving the insurance company lawyers easy proof that you were at fault.

Accepting new car wreck cases.

Posted on by

If you or a family member has been injured in a car wreck, call me. I have an excellent litigation support team. We provide first-rate personal injury representation, thoroughly preparing each case to maximize financial recovery–and you don’t pay until we win! Call me first for all of your legal needs, and suggest me to your family and friends when they need any kind of legal services.