If you are involved in a car accident, you will have to file an insurance claim for any damage to your vehicle and injuries you sustained. You may come in contact with an insurance adjuster and be unsure of what to tell them. In order to increase your chances of collecting the fair and full compensation you may be entitled to, adhere to these five tips for dealing with an insurance adjuster.

1. Realize the insurance adjuster is not on your side.

If you speak to an insurance adjuster, you may find that they appear friendly or helpful. If this is the case, realize that they are doing this in order to discourage you from consulting a car accident lawyer. Their goal is to save the insurance company money, not to help you out.

Leaving the scene of an accident is against the law in the state of Illinois. However, it is a common practice that drivers engage in because they are driving without insurance, are afraid of getting arrested for impaired driving, or do not have liability insurance coverage. If you are ever the victim of a hit-and-run accident, you should understand that the police play an important role in your case.

Gathering Information for Police

After a hit-and-run accident, you should gather as much information as possible to help the police. Some of this information includes license plate information, the make, color, and model of the car that fled the scene, and the description of the driver. You may not be able to gather all of this information so it’s imperative that you write down anything you can remember.

When you were in grade school, you may have played the game where you fervently attempted to walk on a cracked sidewalk without stepping on any cracks? You may have even joined in the sing-song chorus of “step on a crack, break your mama’s back!” Although this superstition is one of a long line of old wives’ tales, there is an increased risk of injury due to cracks in the sidewalk. Although it may not break your unsuspecting mother’s back, a crack in an unkempt sidewalk may, in fact, result in personal injuries.

Statistics of Sidewalk Injuries

Cracks, uneven payment, unexpected rises, potholes, debris, and ice and snow can all result in tripping, slipping, and falling on sidewalks. Although in many cases, a scrape or a bruise may be the worst of the injuries, other cases may cause broken bones, torn ligaments, concussions, or even death. According to federal estimates, the six most common causes of pedestrian and bicyclist injuries include:

When they work properly, highway guardrails can have a tremendous impact on roadway safety. They can prevent rollover accidents and keep drivers from crossing over into oncoming traffic, both of which are among the most serious types of traffic accidents. However, a number of recent cases have raised concerns that certain guardrails installed across the country may actually do more harm than good.

The issue relates to the end cap used on many guardrails, which may cause the guardrail to buckle under the force of the impact and create a spike that can pierce the body of the car. Numerous accident victims nationwide have experienced these issues firsthand, resulting in more than a few fatalities and lost limbs.

The Technology in Question

If you or someone you love has been in an automobile accident, it is critical that you receive an examination from a qualified healthcare professional. This not only protects you in the event that a lawsuit or claim may be necessary but it also ensures that any injuries are promptly treated. In some situations, this can mean the difference between life and death, especially in the case of a traumatic brain injury.

What Is a Traumatic Brain Injury?

A traumatic brain injury, or TBI, is caused when one experiences a spike, blow, or serious jarring of the head. It causes the brain to swell, which can, in extreme cases, lead to death. In most other cases, however, traumatic brain injury causes issues with memory, cognition, coordination, and emotion. For example, a person with traumatic brain injury may: