What You Need to Do If You Have Been in an Accident

Auto Accident Victim

The first thing you need to do if you have been involved in an auto accident, of course after removing yourself from imminent harm, is to call 911 and call for an ambulance if there is anyone who was hurt in the auto accident.

Once all victims are out of danger, you need to collect and write down as much information about the auto accident as you can. If the other party was at fault and you wish to collect damages, you will have to present this information to an auto accident lawyer.

After an auto accident, each party is responsible to get the names of the other parties to to incident their license number, and the insurance information of every driver involved in the accident. This information will come in handy whether or not you consult with an auto accident attorney.

Observe carefully to determine if any of the drivers were under the influence of alcohol. If you suspect alcohol might have been a factor in the accident, search for witnesses who can provide information about signs of alcohol intoxication in the party at fault. If you decide to make a claim in court with the help of an auto accident lawyer, it will still be your testimony in court against the other driver.

If you are serious about seeking the help of an auto accident lawyer then you or a friend must collect the names and contact information from all passengers, pedestrians, and witnesses to the accident. Eventhe storekeeper who viewed the whole auto accident from the other side of the street.

When talking with witnesses, it is important to note any statements they make about the accident. Pay attention as to whether they mention if anyone was injured, if anyone acknowledged causing the auto accident. For example, did anyone describe hearing someone say, “ I should have been wearing my glasses,” “ I should have been driving slower,” “ I spilled my hot coffee and it took away my attention for an instant,” “ I should have been paying closer attention,” etc. All of these details will be very helpful should you decide to contact a personal injury attorney or should another party take action against you.

Before leaving the scene of the car crash, make sure to meticulously record the place, date, and time of the automobile accident. This will be important information if you go ahead and contact a personal injury attorney.

As the earliest possible moment, take time to record a detailed description of the auto accident. Specifics worth noting include a physical account of the auto accident itself, including the directions all the vehicles were travelling in just before the accident, the condition of the road, weather conditions such as fog, rain, snow, darkness, icy surface, etc.. The account needs to include specifics about what happened, who and what was damaged. If the police were called to the accident scene, the description should state who received tickets, and what action the police took, such as ifthey administered a sobriety test to any of the drivers. It might be helpful to make a diagram to accompany the description.

Should you decide to contact an automobile accident attorney, be sure to bring all this material to the meeting.

Another thing you make sure to do before leaving the scene of the accident is to carefully observe the general condition of the autos involved in the automobile accident. Any problems such as bald tires, a flat, low tire, or a burned out headlight, which may have been there prior to the accident should be noted down. All these details should be brought with you to the office of the personal injury attorney at the time of the free consultation, or at least in your possession should someone decide to take action against you.

The care you take in preserving accurate details about the auto accident will help you whether you are dealing with insurance agents and or lawyers to resolve conflicting testimony about the auto accident.

Working With a Bankruptcy Attorney

The word bankruptcy derives from the composite Latin words bancus and ruptus, specifically meaning a broken (ruptus) bench (bancus). In ancient Roman times, bankers put up benches in the market place from whence they would distribute loans and effectuate financial transactions. If a banker became insolvent, his bench was shattered as a sign that he was no longer able to secure debts.

There were many different ancient approaches to bankruptcy. Both Ancient Israel and Greece had codes insolvency and debt forgiveness, forgiveness following 5 years in Greece and 7 years in Israel. During that time, creditors might have to sell themselves as slaves to pay the debt. In actuality there were exceptions to the rule in both countries, and being a debt slave was not so easy, even if he was more than just an ordinary slaves.

In other countries, the treatment of debtors was even worse. In the rule book of Gengus Khan, a man who fell into debt three times was sentenced to death. From Russia come rumors of Cossaks who would beat up and on occasion beat to death peasants who couldn't pay their debts.

Today, modern civilization offers an alternative to historical bankruptcy. People who become insolvent have the opportunity to pursue debt restructuring, bankruptcy education to help debtors rearrange their debts and continue their financial life. In the United States, the power to carry out laws of bankruptcy is found in Article 1, Section 8, Clause 4, and the Bankruptcy Code, is located at Title 11 of the United States Code.

Much of the focus of American debt law is 1) to enable debtors to recover as much as possible and 2) to reeducate the debtor so that he won't go into debt again after he comes out of bankruptcy. The education process in bankruptcy is at least three fold.

The first part of the education comes from the debtors interaction with the bankruptcy lawyer. A bankrupcty attorney spends his whole legal life in the court systems and appears before Judges who interpret and in many cases create current thought about bankruptcy. During initial meetings with the client, the bankruptcy lawyer will help the client to describe the financial mess he has entered into, in an orderly fashion. His morass of debts will be reworded into a detailed description of assets,debts, including liens on property and back taxes, current monthly income, and expenses. The client will be asked to summarize how he came to be in debt.

If the debtor decides to pursue the process further, he must take a bankruptcy counseling course given by licensed professionals. During this course he will be taught techniques of debt management, and he will decide if he can get himself out of debt with the help of these options, and thus avoid bankruptcy, or if he feels the need to continue with bankruptcy .

If he decides to proceed with bankruptcy, he will have to take a course on bankrupcty management. This course will provide him the information he needs to proceed with the bankruptcy and to stay out of debt once he returns from bankruptcy.

Over the months of his bankruptcy, the bankruptcy lawyer, the courts, the debtor, and the creditor will keep in touch in and out of court, and in keeping with the bankruptcy laws, the debts will be reorganized and settled to the greatest extent possible, and a certain percentage will be forgiven. When the debtor comes out of bankruptcy, he will be allowed to continue his business, with whatever credit constraints the court concludes are appropriate

Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 Bankruptcy

The two most common forms of bankruptcy are Chapter 7 and Chapter 13. Chapter 7, known as "straight bankruptcy," arranges for complete liquidation of debt. In return the creditor has to surrender all his non-exempt assets via liquidation and ensuing distribution to the creditors. Chapter 13 bankruptcy also known as "reorganization," allows the debtor to reorganize his debt structure over 3-5 years. To be eligible for Chapter 13, the creditor must prove to the court that he has sufficient income to repay his debts. If approved he must submit a detailed payment plan.

Chapter 7 bankruptcy is most often appropriate for debtors who have little property, other than their household furniture and house necessities, and who have little money left over at the end of the month, or perhaps have trouble meeting basic expenses.

The advantages of Chapter 7 bankruptcy are that it provides for total discharge of debts and the process moves rapidly. Once the debtor has filed bankruptcy, his creditors cannot collect the debt from him directly.
To qualify to file Chapter 7, a debtor must pass the means test, which determines is his total income is below a certain specified amount

Chapter 13 bankruptcy is appropriate for clients who will work out a 3-5 year repayment plan  (longer in the future) and will cooperate with a credit counselor to pay their debts.  Monthly payments are made through the "debt trustee," who apportions the money to creditors according to a pre-arranged dispersal plan. Payments in this form of bankruptcy are made from disposable income that is left over after basic expenses are met, food clothing, shelter, etc. To be eligible for Chapter 13 bankruptcy, a debtor must have unsecured debts below $360,475 and secured debts are less than $1,081,400.

In both Chapter 7 and Chapter 13, the debtor must obtain mandatory credit counseling within 180 prior to filing bankruptcy with the courts. The counseling is designed to give debtors a chance to solve their financial problems themselves and with the help of the course counselors, without the need to go to court. In addition, this course, as well as additional courses that people in bankruptcy must take, aim to teach people in debt how to manage their finances so they won't go into debt again after they come out of bankruptcy.

Various Types of Personal Injury Law Suits

Personal injury law suits refer to claim actions in a court of law to win damages for personal as opposed to property injury that came about as a result of the mistake of another. By legal definition, personal injury refers to injury to the body, mind or emotions of another. Also, based on the broad definition of personal injury, a plaintiff may claim restitution if he was defamed by someone.

The most commonplace personal injuries for which victims claim damages in court are accidents, assault, and product defects. Accidents include highway accidents, industrial  accidents, and vacation accidents.  Other types of personal injuries  include damagesinflicted by medical negligence and chronic medical conditions resulting from work, i.e. coal miner's disease and carpal tunnel syndrome, etc..

Personal injury suits can be classified in other ways. Three common types of personal injury include wrongful death, slip and fall injuries, and vehicle accident injuries.

Wrongful Death, is a type of claim based on financial hardship incurred as a result of the loss of a loved one that was caused by error, negligence, or an illegal act on the part of another. If you are having financial hardship due to the wrongful death of a loved one, there is hope. A successful wrongful death lawsuit can enable you to recieve compensation for lost wages, hospital bills, pain,  emotional and mental suffering, and funeral costs that resulted from the premature death.


Slip & Fall injury is a specific type of accident in which the victim falls as a result of negligence on the part of the building owner, or property owner in the case of an outdoor slip. This is one of the most common personal injury lawsuits. A skillfull personal injury lawyer is frequently able to aid clients to win claims for this type of injury.

Auto Accident Injury specifically relates to injuries incurred as a result of an auto accident. Automobile accidents cause over one billion dollars in damages and take the lives of approximately 43,000 people each year. If you have been injured in a car accident, our personal injury attorneys can help you make a claim for compensation .

There are a couple of serious injuries that occur repeatedly in  more serious personal injury cases, these are  spinal injuries and head injuries.

Spinal Cord Injuries: An injury to the spine can have a devastating effect on your life style and earning ability. Expert personal injury lawyers know how to make  liable parties, and their insureance companies, pay you back for injuries  they caused.

Head Injury: A head injury can be an unspeakable tragedy. Loss of income, pain & suffering, and expensive medical bills are unfortunate side-effects. However, an experienced personal injury attorney can file litigation that may result in generous compensation for all of these damages.

If you or a close relative has experienced any one of these injuries, and it came about as a result of the wrongdoing of another person, you should phone a personal injury attorney right away. Frequently you can win substantial compensation for your injury. claims; however,  the process for filing and winning cases is complex and necessitates the servies of an experienced personal injury attorney.

Legal Representation for a Slip and Fall Claim

Slip and fall accidents are among the most commonly seen accidents, and can cause serious injuries to the victims. When these accidents  take place as the result of negligence of another party, it is right that the injured party should hold that party responsible for the accident. However, when faced with these types of injuries, it is requisite that you employ a reputable and reliable personal injury attorney to be sure you are getting the compensation you deserve. If it happens that your slip and fall injury be in the Arlington, Texas area, then the experienced Arlington, TX personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of David Kohm will be happy to provide this service for you.

Slip and fall accidents fall within the category of premise liability cases. These types of personal injury suits can typically claim compensation for lost wages, medical expenses, and pain and suffering. A slip and fall accident can result in personal and financial inconvenience to the client in all three of these areas, so it is important that you fight to receive the full  compensation you deserve, refusing to settle for partial compensation. Our group of lawyers have lots of experience in slip and fall injury cases, and will endeavor to see that you recievef the best personal injury settlement possible, a monetary sum that will fit all your needs and compensate all your expenses.

In Texas, because of the state's statute of limitations, a tort for a slip and fall injury must be filed within two years of the accident . We suggest filing as soon as you can because your memories of the fall will be the freshest. Also their might be time sensitive matters involved in your claim. With experienced personal injury attorneys on your side, you will have the best chance to prove the responsible parties liable and the team will provide you with the best possible legal support in court.

Car Accident Claims

Car accident injuries

Car accident injuries are among the most common reasons why people seek  a personal injury attorney. A car accident can inflict severe injury and substantially change a victim's life in one instant. A vital active member of the community suddenly transforms an in-patient suffering with crippling spinal paralysis and in need of round the clock nursing care. If your own life, or the life of a friend or next of kin has been drastically affected by a car accident, getting help from a personal injury attorney may be one crucial step that can to a large extent reduce the burden of your injury.

If the operator of the other vehicle negligently caused your accident, an aggressive personal injury law firm can help you recover damages, and obtain a considerable claim from the reckless driver that will pay for your medical bills, your lost wages, property damage, and other types of legal damages.

Causes of Car Accident Injuries

There are three predominant causes of car accidents that may potentially make the wreckless driver responsible for injury sustained in an accident. Speeding is a common cause of road accidents. A speeding car might be travelling down the highway at 100 feet per second,  speeds often seen on highways. A vehicle operator travelling at such a rate who becomes preoccupied for a second and loses control of his vehicle may inflict catastrophic damage. Drunk driving, or driving under the influence of drugs is found in a telling 40% of all fatal highway accidents. It is declared to be a serious cause of negligent driving. In addition, reckless driving or overly aggressive driving behavior, which could include speeding, weaving in and out of lanes improper lane usage, and road rage, are responsible for a large number of car accidents.

Consulting a Personal Injury Attorney

If you  consult a personal injury law firm, one of the first actions they will take is to assess liability in your accident. Your personal injury lawyer will need to request a careful history of the accident. He may want to subpoena information from the drivers of the other vehicles. He will look into such factors as the other party's driving history, their psychiatric stability and the testimony of witnesses. An experienced personal injury attorney will also decide whether the civil authorities were at fault. He will look at signage in the area, a history of similar accidents in the past, and the road conditions. He will also inspect any reports of accidents associated with your model car or car rental agency, to determine if manufacturer failure played a role in the crash.

If your personal injury attorney determines that your accident was the result of negligence on the part of some person or a mechanical factor due to manufacturer, car rental, or car repair shop error then he will offer to represent you and do everything in his power to win the legal settlement you have coming. It is important to remember that getting good personal injury representation after a car accident can bring you not only much needed financial compensation, but also peace of mind when the court decides in your favor and decides that another party's negligence led to your injury.

David S. Kohm & Associates

Arlington TX Automobile Accident Attorney Personal Injury Lawyer helping Texas clients with auto accident claims, personal injury claims, slip and fall claims, divorce and bankruptcy.

David S. Kohm & Associates
1414 W. Randol Mill Rd Suite 118
Arlington, TX, 76012
(817) 861-8400
Contact Person:David Kohm
dkohm@flash.net

http://www.attorneykohm.com

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Personal Injury Attorney, Auto Accident Attorney, Divorce Attorney, Bankruptcy Attorney and motor vehicle accident lawyers.