What To Do After a Vehicle Accident

Vehicle accidents are unexpected and stressful and few people know what to do in the aftermath of a collision. This knowledge is important as it can help prevent further injuries, minimize costs and facilitate further actions relevant to insurance matters and repairs.

You should be aware that if you do not follow the proper procedures you may end up having problems with the law, difficulties in having your insurance claims paid and have consequences and fines to pay. If you are in a vehicle accident, Hopkins Barvie Hopkins is committed to helping restore your peace of mind as soon as possible.

The first important thing if you are involved in car accident is to try to stay calm and concentrated.

Be prepared

• A disposable camera.
• Pen and paper to write down any information.
• A card with any relevant medical information for you and your family.
• Carry a set of cones, warning triangles, emergency flares and bright orange or yellow vest in your trunk to help alert traffic.
• Having first aid supplies and an emergency kit in your car is a good precautionary measure.

Immediately after an accident

• Check for injuries; call an ambulance when in doubt.
• If accident is minor, move cars to a safe place, out of traffic.
• Turn on your vehicle's hazard lights and use cones, warning triangles or flares for safety.
• Call the police, even if the accident is minor.

• Collect the names, phone numbers and addresses of all drivers, passengers and witnesses involved in the accident.
• Collect the names of the insurance companies of all drivers involved.
• Collect the year, model, make and other relevant information of all vehicles involved.

Other important tips

• Do not sign any document unless it's for the police or your insurance agent.
• Make immediate notes about the accident, including specific damages to all vehicles involved, witness information, etc.
• State only the facts, and limit your discussion of the accident to the police and your insurance agent.
• Collect the names and badge numbers of police officers and other emergency personnel.
• Stay at the scene of the accident until the police tell you to leave.
• Photograph the scene of the accident for documentation about the damage to all vehicles

Even if you think that you are at fault do not admit liability. It is possible that there are unknown factors to you that played a role. This could make the situation different than what you initially perceive. Comments that you may make could be counterproductive or even used against you later.

If you have or suspect that you have an injury, visit a hospital or a doctor immediately. This will allow you to get proper medical care and may have legal implications later. If you cannot prove that you suffered an injury at the accident with a medical report from a doctor that examined you immediately after the accident, you may face difficulties for your claims as well as in litigious cases with the other drivers.

Knowing in advance how to proceed when involved in any type of vehicle accident, helps you stay calm, take the appropriate measures and make the best of a difficult, dangerous or even tragic situation.

If you suffered a vehicle injury and need to hire an experienced auto accident attorney who can help make sure you receive the benefits you need call Hopkins, Barvié & Hopkins, P.L.L.C. With more than 65 years of combined legal experience, ourattorneys offer clients throughout Mississippi the representation they need.

Contact us online or call 228-864-2200 to schedule your free initial consultation with an experienced lawyer.

Or, email us, like us on facebook or follow us on Linkedin. Just click below.

FDA requiring lower recommended dose for certain sleep drugs containing zolpidem to reduce risk of drowsiness.

On January 10, 2013 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notified the public of new information about zolpidem, a widely prescribed insomnia drug. FDA recommends that the bedtime dose be lowered because new data show that blood levels in some patients may be high enough the morning after use to impair activities that require alertness, including driving. This announcement focused on zolpidem products approved for bedtime use, which are marketed as generics and under the brand names Ambien, Ambien CR, Edluar, and Zolpimist.

FDA reminded the public that all drugs taken for insomnia can impair driving and activities that require alertness the morning after use. Drowsiness is already listed as a common side effect in the drug labels of all insomnia drugs, along with warnings that patients may still feel drowsy the day after taking these products. Patients who take insomnia drugs can experience impairment of mental alertness the morning after use, even if they feel fully awake.

The FDA urges health care professionals to caution all patients (men and women) who use these zolpidem products about the risks of next-morning impairment for activities that require complete mental alertness, including driving. For zolpidem products, data show the risk for next-morning impairment is highest for patients taking the extended-release forms of these drugs (Ambien CR and generics). Women appear to be more susceptible to this risk because they eliminate zolpidem from their bodies more slowly than men.

The FDA is continuing to evaluate the risk of impaired mental alertness with other insomnia drugs, including over-the-counter (OTC) drugs available without a prescription.

Personnel Injury Attorneys have been very concerned about the spike in drowsy driving-related accidents.  The FDA, is now acting to ensure that people who take these meds do not retain such high quantities of the ingredient in their bloodstream.  The company will require manufacturers of popular medications that contain zolpidem like Ambien and Ambien CR to reduce the recommended dose.

According to the FDA, these companies will have to cut down the recommended dose for women, by about 50%.  The current dose for immediate release products is 10 mg, and that will be cut to 5 mg.  In the case of extended release drugs, the dose will be reduced from 12.5 mg to 6.25 mg.

The FDA has not made any specifications in the case of men, but has said that manufacturers need to make similar cuts to the dose while establishing recommended doses for males also.  The Food and Drug Administration is also requiring that these manufacturers make very clear the numerous side effects of using these medications in their product warning labels.

If you suffered in an auto accident, you need to hire an experienced personal injury attorney who can help make sure you receive the benefits you need. At Hopkins, Barvié & Hopkins, P.L.L.C., we help you find the answers. With more than 65 years of combined legal experience, our attorneys offer clients throughout Mississippi the representation they need.

Contact us online or call 228-864-2200 to schedule your free initial consultation with an experienced lawyer. And, let us know how you found a way to celebrate the holidays without incurring more debt.

Or, email us, like us on Facebook or follow us on LinkedIn. Just click below.

Do I Need a Lawyer?

Were you seriously hurt in an accident that wasn’t your fault?  Is the insurance company pressuring you to accept a settlement? Are you injured and worried about not being able to work and pay your bills? Is your employer threatening to stop your workers’ compensation benefits? Are you disabled and can’t work but were denied Social Security disability benefits?

If you answered yes to any of the above statements, you may wonder if you have a case. Another common question is: Do I need a lawyer?

Dealing with paperwork, insurance claims, the government and the legal system is best left to the experts. You could try to handle everything on your own but you’re likely to make mistakes and cheat yourself out of the money you deserve.

Hopkins Barvie Hopkins has helped many people with the following types of cases:

·          Injuries and Accidents

·          Workers’ Compensation

·          Social Security Disability

Insurance companies urge you to trust them and claim they will protect you. When you’re injured in an accident, they won’t be your friends. That’s yet another reason why you may need a lawyer.

In fact, a report from the blog of CNN’s Anderson Cooper uncovered a practice used by insurance companies called The Three Ds.

Insurance companies will:

·          Delay handling your injury claim

·          Deny you were hurt in the accident

·          Defend their decision in lengthy court battles

Put simply, that’s one of the ways that insurance companies save money - by offering you less than you deserve.

In order to protect yourself and your claim, follow these tips:

1. No matter what type of case you might have, don’t sign any papers until you talk to a law firm and learn your rights.
2. Never allow an insurance company to record you “for accuracy purposes.” They’ll use it against you later.
3. Contact us online or call 228-864-2200 for a free initial consultation with an experienced lawyer. Every person deserves to know his or her rights and there’s no obligation to use our services.

At Hopkins, Barvié & Hopkins, P.L.L.C., we help you find the answers. With more than 65 years of combined legal experience, our attorneys offer clients throughout Mississippi the representation they need. 

Or, email us, like us on Facebook or follow us on LinkedIn. Just click below.

IF YOU SUFFERED A WORKPLACE INJURY, YOU NEED TO HIRE AN EXPERIENCED WORKERS' COMPENSATION ATTORNEY

The holidays are a difficult time for many people especially for injured workers. If they are receiving workers compensation checks they can be late due to interrupted mail service, or bad weather, or adjusters taking vacation time. Many doctors’ offices cannot find appointment times for new patients or you cannot get an appointment to see your doctor. Hospital and surgical centers are overbooked with patients wanting to avoid a new annual deductible under their health insurance.

It is difficult enough dealing with the injury you have sustained without the added burden of the holidays on you. Our years of experience in workers’ compensation law allow us to resolve cases quickly.  Worker's Compensation litigation is generally considered to be simpler than traditional injury litigation, as it takes place in an administrative setting and may involve relaxed evidentiary rules. Workers typically need to hire a workers compensation lawyer when they are refused benefits to which they are entitled, are told that they can return to work before they are actually medically able, or are denied extended or permanent disability despite significant disabling injury. If your employer sends you to a doctor who declares that you are able to return to work even though you don't believe you are yet able, or tries to get you to return to work to a special job created to accommodate your injury, you should consider speaking to a workers compensation lawyer right away.

It is beneficial to go to a lawyer who handles a lot of Worker's Compensation cases. Typically, those lawyers will know the administrative judges or hearing officers who preside over compensation hearings and may also know the doctors and defense lawyers who are trying to block your claim. Using an attorney who knows the ins and outs of the system can help ensure that you collect the benefits that are due or, if you are so inclined, get a maximum pay-off to settle your compensation claim.

If you suffered a workplace injury, you need to hire an experienced workers' compensation attorney who can help make sure you receive the benefits you need. At Hopkins, Barvié & Hopkins, P.L.L.C., we help you find the answers. With more than 65 years of combined legal experience, our attorneys offer clients throughout Mississippi the representation they need.

Contact us online or call 228-864-2200 to schedule your free initial consultation with an experienced lawyer. And, let us know how you found a way to celebrate the holidays without incurring more debt. Happy Holidays.

Or, email us, like us on facebook or follow us on Linkedin. Just click below.