Ponce Law

What Compensation Can You Get After a Crash that Wasn’t Your Fault?

If you were recently hurt in an accident that was caused by someone else’s negligence, you have one thing on your mind: getting better. But as time goes on, a second priority will emerge: finding a way to keep yourself and your loved one’s financially afloat. That’s because the aftermath of auto accidents is often extremely expensive, and your injuries may prevent you from working and earning a paycheck.

At Ponce Law, our Nashville car accident attorneys have helped many people just like you recover compensation after crashes that weren’t their fault. Three common types of compensation you may be eligible for include:

1. Medical bills—Auto accident-related medical bills start racking up as soon as you call an ambulance or enter the emergency room. From there, they can spiral out of control, especially if your injuries are serious. Our team will fight to get you paid for your bills.
2. Lost wages—When you’re injured, you may be physically or psychologically unable to work for weeks, months, or even years. That means no paychecks and a derailed career. Our attorneys know how devastating disabling injuries can be, and we’ll work hard to get you compensation.
3. Pain and suffering—It’s common for car accident victims to develop psychological symptoms, including depression, anxiety, and even post-traumatic stress disorder after crashes. These symptoms can interfere with quality of life, and we believe they deserve compensation.

You’ve gone through enough already. The last thing you need is for your family to experience financial hardship because of a crash that wasn’t your fault. Call us today for a free consultation.

3 Ways to Reduce Your Risk of an Accident

At Ponce Law, our Nashville auto accident lawyers are here to help people who have been hurt in crashes that weren’t their fault. But even clients who we help win big settlements would prefer to have avoided their crashes in the first place. Auto accidents are painful and traumatic, and it’s every driver’s job to do everything in their power to reduce the risks they pose to themselves and to others to prevent accidents.

To stay safe on the roadways during the rest of 2019 and into 2020, do your best to follow these tips:

1. Don’t speed—Exceeding the speed limit is dangerous because it makes it easier to lose control of your vehicle, increases the time it takes you to come to a stop, and increases the risk of injuries if you’re involved in an accident. Driving at or below the speed limit improves your safety and means no expensive speeding tickets.
2. Don’t drive while impaired—Avoiding impaired driving means many things. In addition to never getting behind the wheel after consuming alcohol, it also means never driving under the influence of certain prescription or over-the-counter medications. In addition, you should also avoid driving if you’re exhausted or sleep deprived.
3. Don’t become distracted—Distracted driving is a growing safety epidemic in the U.S., with smartphones leading the charge. Since July 1, 2019, it’s illegal to hold your phone while driving in TN. However, any smartphone use can be distracting, even with hands-free devices. If you need to make a call or send a text, pull over.

If you’re involved in a crash that was caused by a negligent driver, we want to help you get the money you deserve. Call us today for a free consultation.

What Happens if You’re Partially at Fault for an Auto Accident?

Tennessee is an “at-fault” state. This means that after an auto accident, the driver who is ruled to be responsible for the crash is considered liable for the victims’ injuries. Those expenses are typically paid via the at-fault driver’s auto insurance policy. However, it is not always clear that one party is 100% at-fault and other party is 100% innocent.

To account for those types of crashes, Tennessee uses a modified comparative negligence system. It means that injured victims who are up to 50% responsible for an accident can still pursue compensation for their medical bills, lost wages, and other crash-related expenses. However, if they’re found to be 51% responsible or more, they’re unable to pursue any compensation whatsoever.

In addition, the percentage that a driver is ruled to be responsible for a crash affects how much they can get. If an injured driver is awarded $30,000 for their injuries and expenses, but they were found to be 10% responsible for the crash, their payment would be reduced by 10% ($3,000) and they would receive $27,000.

Tennessee’s at-fault system and modified comparative negligence process mean that many auto accident victims are still eligible to file compensation claims, even if they were partially at-fault for their crashes or share blame equally with other drivers. That’s why it’s so important to contact an experienced Nashville auto accident lawyer after a crash.

Don’t wait to get the dedicated legal representation you deserve after an accident. Get Ponce Law on your side today by calling or filling out a free online form.

3 Winter Driving Safety Tips

Although the official start of winter is still a few weeks away, cold temperatures have already settled into the Middle Tennessee area. That means the risk of ice and snow on roadways throughout Nashville and the surrounding cities is already here. Inclement winter weather is a significant risk factor for crashes, especially when drivers aren’t prepared for it.

To reduce your risks on the road in the weeks leading up to winter and throughout the season, be sure to follow these tips:

1. Check weather forecasts before leaving home—The best way to avoid a winter weather crash is to stay off the roads altogether. Although TDOT trucks and employees work hard to de-ice highways and interstates, there’s only so much they can do to make roads safe. If the forecast calls for freezing temperatures and precipitation, stay home whenever possible.
2. Pull over if road conditions become dangerous—Road conditions can change in a flash, especially when temperatures dip below freezing. All it takes is a small amount of rainfall for roads to become icy. If you’re driving and notice the road has become icy, or that you’re losing control of your vehicle, pull over immediately.
3. Pack your car with a winter weather emergency kit—Driving during the winter means you run the risk of becoming stranded or stuck in a prolonged traffic jam. Having a few essential items in your vehicle, including a phone charger, non-perishable food, blankets, and water can help you stay more comfortable while you wait for help to arrive or for roads to clear.

As always, if you get injured in a winter weather driving accident that wasn’t your fault, the Nashville auto accident attorneys at Ponce Law are here to help. Contact us today for a free consultation.

The Awardees of Our Thank a Veteran Tribute Are…

Thank you to everyone who honored a Tennessee veteran in our Thank a Veteran Tribute.

The drawing is complete, and the awardees are:

Angela Price (Coast Guard, 12 years of service) – $500 prize

Oscar Talley (Marine Corps, 20 years of service) – $500 prize

Michael Crockett (Air Force, 22 years of service) – $500 prize

Willard Ratliff (Army, 3 years of service) – $500 prize

Congratulations to all of the awardees!

At Ponce Law, we love honoring and giving back to veterans any way we can—and we’re proud to give back this Veterans Month by awarding these veterans!

How You Can Improve Your Auto Accident Claim’s Chances of Success

At Ponce Law, it’s our job to take over as many aspects of the process of filing a claim as possible for victims of auto accidents. When you contact us, we’ll go to work to make sure you can relax and focus on getting better. However, we also know that many injured victims want to be active participants in their recovery process from both a physical and financial perspective.

While we’ll handle all of the paperwork and legal details on your behalf, there are a few things you can do while we’re building your claim that can improve your chances of getting the money you deserve, including:

• Go to your doctor’s appointments—Whether you’re seeing a general practitioner, a specialist, or a physical rehabilitation center, it’s important to attend your doctor’s appointments whenever they’re scheduled. Doing so shows that your injuries are serious and that you’re serious about recovering.
• Don’t talk about your accident on social media—Insurance adjusters are always looking for ways to reduce or deny claims, and in 2019, that means keeping tabs on victims’ social media accounts. Talking about your accident can lead to statements being taken out of context, which may be detrimental to your claim.
• Tell us if the insurance company contacts you—When we take on your claim, the insurance company will be required to direct all communication to us. However, that doesn’t always happen, especially in the immediate aftermath of an accident. Always tell us about any communication from the insurance company, whether it’s a phone call, email, or letter.

You deserve peace of mind after a crash that wasn’t your fault, and that’s exactly what you’ll get with Ponce Law on your side. Contact our Nashville auto accident lawyers today for a free consultation.

How to Handle Medical Bills While Waiting for a Car Accident Settlement

Our Nashville auto accident lawyers have one primary goal in mind when we fight for our clients—getting them maximum compensation for their medical bills, lost wages, and other accident-related expenses. And even though we do everything in our power to help clients get their checks as quickly as possible, the process can often still take months to finalize. That leaves victims with a gap between the time they were injured and the time they get paid.

This can be a difficult time period for injured victims and their loved ones. While they often have peace of mind knowing that their claims are in good hands, they may also need money right away—especially if they’re too hurt to go back to work.

Three ways to handle big medical bills while you’re waiting for your compensation to arrive include:

1. Submit your medical bills to your health insurance provider—If you have health insurance, some of your medical bills may be covered through that policy.
2. Subrogation—Because health insurance plans don’t always cover all accident-related expenses, the costs may still be too much for your family to bear. However, your health insurer may pay for more or all of your medical costs upfront in exchange for being reimbursed when you get your settlement in a process called subrogation.
3. Payment plans—Hospitals, EMS services, and other healthcare providers are often willing to work with victims on their bills. Setting up a payment plan can make your bills manageable while you wait to get your compensation check.

After an accident, you need an experienced law firm on your side that knows how to get you the money you deserve. Contact Ponce Law today for a free consultation.

Announcing Ponce Law’s Thank a Veteran Tribute

At Ponce Law, we don’t just help injured Tennessee veterans navigate the disability claims process. We also believe in honoring them any way we can.

This year, that means spotlighting nominated veterans on our website and holding a drawing for 4 veterans to receive $500 each.

If you know a deserving veteran who should be honored for their service and entered for a chance to receive $500, submit their information, including their name, photo, and service branch, on our nomination page.

All honorees must be received by Nov. 18, 2019. We’ll announce the winners on Nov. 20, 2019. Be sure to tell your veteran to check our Facebook page and their inbox to find out if they won!

3 Things to Keep in Your Vehicle in Case of an Accident

At Ponce Law, it’s our goal to take some of the stress of car accidents off the victims’ shoulders. But we also know that many victims don’t contact us until hours, days, or even weeks after their crashes. The immediate aftermath of a crash can be a critical time period for victims and their loved ones, and being prepared for the possibility of a crash—and knowing what steps to take after one occurs—can dramatically impact recovery and your chances of receiving compensation.

To better prepare yourself and your family for a crash, be sure to keep these three items in your vehicle and the vehicles of your loved ones:

1. First aid kit—First responders are highly trained and well equipped to handle medical emergencies, but they may not be able to respond to accidents right away due to traffic or distance. Having a first aid kit can help you manage injuries until professional help arrives.
2. Important vehicle-related documents—One of the first things you should do after a crash is exchange insurance information with the other driver. Having your insurance card on hand makes that process easier. In addition, you should always carry your vehicle registration and a notepad to write down what happened before you forget or the details become fuzzy.
3. Roadside emergency kit—Crashes can happen during all types of weather and at all times of day. A roadside emergency kit should contain items like jumper cables, a flashlight, traffic cones, flares, water, food, blankets, and even a change of clothes.

Staying safe at the accident scene is just the first step towards a successful recovery. The Nashville auto accident lawyers at Ponce Law want to help you the rest of the way. Contact us today for a free consultation.

5 Things to Do at the Accident Scene After a Crash

The aftermath of an auto accident can be a traumatic, confusing, and stressful time. It can be difficult to think straight or remain calm, especially if you or your loved one suffered injuries. However, if you’re able to do so, there are a few steps you can take at the crash scene that can help your injury claim, should you decide to pursue compensation later.

They include:

1. Call 911. This should be mandatory regardless of the circumstances and outcome of the accident. Don’t wait to call 911 just because you think someone else may have already called. The sooner emergency responders arrive at your location, the better.
2. Exchange information with the other driver. Get the other driver’s name, phone number, email address, and insurance details. Stick to the facts when talking to the other driver, and don’t speculate about who was at fault or admit fault.
3. Get contact information from witnesses. If any bystanders witnessed the crash, get their contact information as well. Witnesses can provide important information about crashes, and they may be able to fill in the gaps when piecing together what happened.
4. Take pictures of the accident scene. Use a camera or your phone to photograph or video the accident scene, including the position of the vehicles, the damage they incurred, skid marks on the road, and other important details.
5. Cooperate with police. Never leave the accident scene until police arrive and speak with you. When talking to police, cooperate with them by answering their questions truthfully. Remain at the scene until you leave with paramedics or under your own power.

In addition, you should contact an experienced Nashville auto accident lawyer as soon as possible. Ponce Law is ready to take on your claim. Call today for a free consultation.