ADVOCATE | COUNSELOR | LITIGATOR
Welcome
Apis Law is a law firm in Goffstown, New Hampshire with a focus in personal injury, employment, and real estate litigation. The firm is named after the honey bee: apis mellifera.
I have been keeping bees for several years. It is challenging, humbling, and rewarding - just like the practice of law - where predictability can be elusive and assumptions often corrected by the discovery of new facts, circumstances, and different points of view.
Like bees, a good litigator is unassuming, humble, industrious, and, when appropriate, will let an adversary know their proper place.
For these reasons, I chose the name Apis Law.
No case is too small. Consults are free.
Why Retain Counsel After A Car Accident?
Car accidents in New Hampshire can lead to serious personal injuries, including brain injuries, fractures, spine injury, whiplash, and even disability. A car accident can also cause long-term financial strain due to medical expenses, lost wages, and rehabilitation. An accident can also leave you with out a car making it difficult to get to work, do daily activities, and even get to your medical appointments.
If you’ve been involved in a car accident in New Hampshire, getting the right legal help is important because your failure to take the appropriate action may result in the loss of your claim for compensation.
With thousands of accidents reported each year, the impact on victims is significant.
A car accident lawyer can help you understand your rights, review your police report, and guide you through the process of seeking compensation for your losses, including pain and suffering caused by the accident, whether it’s from a motorcycle, truck, bus, tractor trailer, or standard car accident.
After a car accident, it’s important to remain calm and take the right steps to protect yourself. First, make sure everyone is safe and, if you are able, move to a safe location. Next, gather facts:
• Names of all drivers and passengers
• License plate numbers, makes, and models of vehicles
• Insurance information of all involved drivers
• Contact details of any witnesses
• Specific details regarding the accident, including damage and location
Document the scene by taking photos of vehicle damage, and the surrounding area. When possible, take videos, as they can offer a more detailed view. Make sure to capture time and date stamps on all your photos. Document the accident scene from different angles, including traffic signs and road conditions.
It may also be the case that you are incapacitated or so badly hurt that you are unable to collect information. Police usually arrive at the scene of an accident and conduct an investigation. Their fact gathering is memorialized in a traffic accident report.
A police report will be a key piece of evidence in your case. If you're involved in a bus, tractor trailer, motorcycle, or truck accident, this documentation is even more important due to the complexity of such claims. Protect your ability to recover lost wages and seek compensation for pain and suffering by acting promptly.
What to Do Immediately After a Car Accident
Speaking with Police After a Car Accident
When speaking with the police after a car accident, stay calm and provide accurate information. The officer will likely ask you to describe what happened. Be factual, short, concise, do not guess or speculate. Always tell the truth. Be sure to provide your contact and insurance details, as well as any information from witnesses. If you’ve suffered injuries, make sure to mention these to the officer.
The police will file a traffic accident report that will set the stage for the basic facts considered by your attorney and insurance adjuster. If you were involved in a truck or motorcycle accident, the investigation may be more involved, so it’s important to cooperate fully and ensure that all relevant details are included in the police report. This documentation will help your claims for compensation for medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering.
Legal Recourse for Car Accident Victims
After a car accident, you have legal options to seek compensation for their injuries, including pain and suffering, medical bills, lost wages, and disability. Whether you’ve suffered from whiplash, spine injury, fractures, brain injuries, or any form of disability, it’s necessary to prove that the other driver’s negligence caused the accident.
In car accidents, negligence is the primary legal theory an attorney uses to get you compensation for your injuries. Driver negligence includes a breach of a duty of care like speeding, distracted driving, running a stop light, failure to yield, or driving under the influence. When a driver breaches a duty to drive carefully, their mistake often leads to accidents and injuries like brain injuries, fractures, spine injury, whiplash, and disability. Therefore, proving negligence is essential in securing compensation, and it requires showing that the at-fault driver failed in their duty of care. Whether it's a motorcycle accident, truck accident, or a standard car crash, a car accident lawyer can help establish negligence by reviewing the traffic accident report and police report. They will work to prove that the negligent driver directly caused the accident and your resulting injuries, including lost wages and pain and suffering, ensuring you get the compensation you deserve.
Comparative Fault
New Hampshire follows a comparative fault rule for car accident claims. This means that even if you were partially at fault for the accident, you can still pursue compensation, as long as your fault is 50% or less. However, your compensation will be reduced based on your percentage of fault. If you’re involved in a motorcycle accident or truck accident, this rule is especially important because these types of accidents often involve multiple parties. A skilled car accident lawyer will help you understand how comparative fault applies to your case and ensure that you don’t lose out on compensation for your injuries, such as brain injuries, whiplash, or fractures. This includes compensation for lost wages and pain and suffering, which will be factored in according to your degree of fault.
In New Hampshire, you cannot sleep on your rights. You must act diligently if you've been involved in a car accident. The statute of limitations for filing a claim is three years from the date of the accident. Missing this deadline could prevent you from receiving compensation for injuries like spine injury, fractures, whiplash, or disability. With their expertise, you’ll have the best chance of securing compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and disability-related expenses resulting from the crash.
Uninsured Motorist Coverage
It's important to protect yourself and your family from uninsured drivers on the road. Uninsured motorist coverage is a type of insurance that can help cover your medical expenses and other damages if you're involved in an accident with an uninsured driver. At Apis Law, we understand the importance of having uninsured motorist coverage as part of your auto insurance policy. If you're hit by an uninsured driver, you may be left with significant medical bills and other damages that can be difficult to afford. Uninsured motorist coverage can help you pay for these expenses. In New Hampshire, all auto insurance policies are required to include uninsured motorist coverage. This coverage is available in bodily injury coverage, which pays for medical expenses. If you've been involved in an accident with an uninsured driver and are struggling to pay your medical bills or repair costs, Attorney Diaz may be able to help. Contact us today to learn more about your options for obtaining a recovery under your uninsured motorist coverage.
Damages
Car accident victims in New Hampshire are entitled to compensatory damages to cover economic and noneconomic losses, such as lost wages, medical expenses, pain and suffering, and even disability. Economic damages often include medical expenses for treatments related to injuries such as brain injuries, spine injury, fractures, or whiplash, as well as lost wages if you're unable to work.
Noneconomic damages address the pain and suffering you’ve experienced as a result of the accident. A skilled car accident lawyer will help you assess both types of damages. Whether it’s a truck accident or motorcycle accident, our attorneys will review your traffic accident report and police report, ensuring that all damages are accurately calculated, including disability-related costs, and you receive the compensation you're entitled to.
1. Physical pain and discomfort: Unexpected injuries from a motor vehicle accident can cause significant physical pain and discomfort, which can be stressful in itself. 2. Emotional distress: The trauma of being in a motor vehicle accident can cause emotional distress, including feelings of fear, anxiety, and depression. 3. Disruption to daily life: Unexpected injuries can disrupt your daily life, including work and other responsibilities, which can be stressful. 4. Difficulty with mobility: Depending on the severity of the injuries, you may have difficulty with mobility, which can be stressful and frustrating. 5. Changes to physical appearance: Some injuries may result in visible changes to your physical appearance, which can be stressful and affect your self-esteem. 6. Financial stress: The cost of medical treatment for unexpected injuries can be financially stressful, especially if you are already struggling with lost wages due to the accident. 7. Frustration: Dealing with the physical and emotional impacts of unexpected injuries can be frustrating and overwhelming. 8. Loss of independence: Depending on the severity of the injuries, you may need to rely on others for help with daily tasks, which can be stressful and impact your sense of independence. 9. Difficulties with communication: Some injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries, can affect communication skills, which can be stressful and frustrating for both the injured person and their loved ones. 10. Changes in relationships: The impact of unexpected injuries can also affect relationships with friends and family, which can be stressful.
Difficult Insurance Companies
Dealing with insurance companies can be frustrating and overwhelming, especially if you've been injured in a car accident and are trying to get the compensation you deserve. Here are a few examples of what insurance companies do to make you accept less money for your injuries: 1. Lowballing the initial settlement offer. Auto insurance carriers may initially offer a settlement that is significantly lower than what you are owed in order to try to get you to accept it. 2. Denying or delaying your claim. Insurance carriers may deny or delay your claim in order to avoid paying out on it. This can be particularly frustrating if you have suffered significant damages or injuries as a result of an accident. 3. Using ambiguous or confusing language in your policy. Insurance carriers may use ambiguous or confusing language in your policy in order to make it more difficult for you to understand your coverage and your rights. 4. Arguing that you are at fault for the accident. Insurance carriers may try to argue that you are at fault for the accident in order to avoid paying out on your claim. This can be particularly frustrating if you feel that the accident was not your fault. 5. Requiring you to pay out-of-pocket for certain expenses. Insurance carriers may require you to pay out-of-pocket for certain expenses, such as deductibles or certain types of damage, in order to reduce the overall amount they have to pay out on your claim. 6. Making you think you should not be paid in full for medical expenses because your health insurance carrier or med pay covered some or all of the costs. 7. Refusing to pay the full cost of medical bills because the medical care provider charged you too much! 8. Experience, obstinance, persistence, and tenacity. Insurance companies have a war chest of funds, experts, and attorneys. They will sit patiently, waiting for you to cave to their low-ball offer. It works, especially when the injured party does not have an attorney, and you may be in need of money. Under such circumstances it is not unusual for an unrepresented person to sell their claim for less than it's worth.
1. Financial stress: Unexpected medical bills can be a significant financial burden, especially if you are already struggling with lost wages due to the accident. 2. Frustration: Dealing with unexpected medical bills can be frustrating and time-consuming, especially if you are trying to navigate the billing and insurance processes while recovering from an injury. 3. Confusion: It can be confusing to understand why you are being billed for certain medical procedures or tests, especially if you were under the impression that your insurance would cover them. 4. Anxiety: The uncertainty of not knowing how you will pay for these unexpected bills can cause anxiety and stress. 5. Interruptions to treatment: If you are unable to pay for necessary medical treatments due to unexpected bills, it can interrupt your recovery process and cause additional stress.
Common Car Accident Injuries
1. Whiplash Sudden neck movement causes pain, stiffness, and possible nerve damage. 2. Fractures Broken bones from impact can require surgery and long recovery. 3. Brain Injuries Head trauma leading to cognitive impairment, headaches, or unconsciousness. 4.Spinal Cord Injuries Damage to the spine, potentially causing paralysis or permanent disability. 5. Herniated Disc A bulging disc in the spine pressing on nerves causing pain. 6. Soft Tissue Injuries Strains and sprains in muscles, ligaments, and tendons after impact. 7. Concussion A blow to the head that causes temporary brain dysfunction. 8. Facial Injuries Cuts, fractures, or disfigurement to the face requiring surgical intervention. 9. Chest Injuries Broken ribs or internal damage due to impact with the steering wheel. 10. Internal Bleeding Damage to organs causing bleeding inside the body, potentially life-threatening.
Call on Apis Law to help you and your loved ones guide you through the process of recovering money lost to medical bills, car damage, lost wages, and pain and suffering.