Straight Talking on The Law

Hit By Bad Driver? What To Do When Other Driver's Insurance Company Calls

By Paul Vames, Oregon Personal Injury Attorney

Let’s say, for example, your car has been “rear-ended” on the freeway or at a stop light. Your rear bumper and trunk are smashed. Your neck and shoulders snap back from the force of the collision and begin to ache. You develop a headache and experience a feeling of disorientation. Your joints are sore.

 

Your primary concern following an injury accident is to feel better and ensure that your injuries are not serious. Your first instinct should be to seek immediate and appropriate medical care from a physician or hospital emergency department. In Oregon, where PIP coverage is mandatory under State law, you can and should get the immediate medical care you need without delay. You paid premiums for this coverage and are entitled to the best care available. PIP is YOUR coverage under your insurance policy. Cooperate with your own insurer and your medical bills will be paid.

 

But what should you do when the insurer for the negligent driver calls and wants information?

 

If you have been injured, tell the opposing insurer only that you have been injured and that you will provide relevant information once your injuries have healed. Do not allow the opposing insurer to obtain information to which it is not entitled.

 

Mortgage Relief Scams

By: Robert Harris,

Attorney Harris Law Firm

For people who are upside down in their homes, and are desparately looking for a way out, rest assured that scammers are more than willling to take yor money. A Huffington Post article about mortgage relief scams explains one type of common scam. 

Before you ever, ever, ever agree to hand your money over to any mortgage relief, or debt workout, or distressed loan "specialist" (who may actually be nothing more than a boiler room operator somewhere in Florida), talk to a local reputable attorney about your legal options. For a relatively small fee, an experienced attorney can assess your situation and spell out your options.

One thing to be aware of. There are a very few number of attorneys who, usually unkowningly, work with these worthless loan modification companies. These companies persuaded some naive attorneys to act as their "fronts". So the attorney is convinced that all they had to do was attract and sign the distressed clients,  collect the fee, and the loan modifaction staff will take care of the client. So if you do retain an attorney, just make sure they are handling all of the work within their own office.