AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE

1. Stop . . . do not leave the scene of the accident. CALL THE POLICE, tell them where     the accident occurred and ask for        medical help     if needed.

2. Get names, addresses, and license numbers of all drivers involved.

3. Get description and registration number and insurance information of all cars     involved. License Plate Number __ Registration # __ Make  __    Year     __ Damage __   Insurance Company __ Insurance Policy Number __

4. Get names and addresses of all witnesses     Witnesses will be a     tremendous help to you in any subsequent court action, if there is any question of     liability involved. Get the names and addresses of as many witnesses as possible. If they     refuse to identify themselves, jot down the license plate numbers of their automobiles. Do     not discuss the accident with the witnesses. Do not give the witnesses names to anyone but     the police, your attorney or your insurance company.

5. While waiting for police, write down- Accident Information Date   __         Time __ Location   __             No. of vehicles involved __ Weather __ Road     conditions __ Damage __ Speed of the other car __

6. Summary of accident __

7. Diagram of accident

8. Call an ambulance.  If you have any reason to suspect you were injured in the     accident, go to a hospital immediately or see a physician promptly.  You'll want it     on record that you sought treatment right away -not in a week or so.

9. Name of Police Officers, Department and Badge Number

10. Do not assign or accept blame for the accident. - The scene of the accident is not     the place to determine fault. Discuss  the accident only with the police,  your     attorney and with  representatives of your insurance company. Give the other party     only your drivers license number, registration  number and insurance information. -      Be cooperative with the police.

11. Seek hospital/ medical  attention.

12. Take photos of damage to car, location of your seat belt and air bag. Also take     photos of scrapes or black and blue marks on your body caused by your seat belt and air     bag.

13.  Call your insurance company to report the accident.

14. Call a personal injury attorney, not a real estate attorney:           Call Kenneth A. Vercammen-  Trial Attorney Attorney At     Law       (732) 572-0500 When you need help the most, we     will be ready to help you.

15. Never give a signed statement to the claims adjuster representing the other     driver's insurance company. The same goes for a phone recording.  They may be used     against you in court to deny your claim. Speak with your personal injury attorney first.

IF YOU HAVE BEEN INJURED IN A CAR ACCIDENT;  WHILE YOUR PERSONAL INJURY CASE IS     PENDING:

It is important that you -- 1. DO NOT discuss your case with anyone except your doctors     and attorney. 2. DO NOT make any statements or give out any information. 3. DO NOT sign     any statements, reports, forms or papers of any kinds. 4. DO NOT appear at police or other     hearings without first consulting with your attorney. INFORM YOUR ATTORNEY PROMPTLY of any     notice, request or summons to appear at any such hearings. 5. Refer to your attorney,     anyone who asks you to sign anything or to make any statement or report or who seeks     information concerning your case. 6. Direct your doctor and other treatment providers      not to furnish or disclose any information concerning your case to any entity other     than your insurance company without YOU AND YOUR ATTORNEY'S WRITTEN PERMISSION. 7. You may     have insurance coverages such as liability, collision, accident, Blue Cross, Blue Shield     or Major Medical which require prompt attention.  However, be sure to have your     treatment providers send bills immediately to all of your insurance companies. 8. Notify     your attorney promptly of any new developments.  Small things may be important.      Keep your attorney informed. 9. Maintain accurate records of all information and     data pertaining to your case. 10. If you or any witnesses should move, be sure to notify     your attorney of the new address.

Financial Recovery for persons injured in car accidents

1. Kenneth Vercammen Helps Injured persons   A person who is injured as a     result of the negligence of another person is what we in the legal profession refer to as     a personal injury claimant.  In other words, they have been injured as a result of an     accident, and now wish to prosecute a claim against an opposing party.  Kenneth     Vercammen's office handles cases against negligent drivers and their insurance companies     for injury.  We do not handle products liability cases. Therefore, I request that all     clients do as much as possible to cooperate and help in every way.  The purpose of     this article is to describe the procedure that we  may follow and give you sufficient     instructions to enable you to assist us in this undertaking.  Needless to say,     helping us is just another way of helping yourself.  If you have been injured, but     not in a car accident, most of this brochure is still applicable to an accident case,     whether it is a fall down, dog bite or other injury.

2. Clients should provide my office with the following 1. Any bills 2. All Hospital or     doctor records in your possession 3. Car Insurance Declaration Sheet    4.     Car Insurance Policy 5. Photos of damage to your car and property 6. Photos of accident     site 7. Major Med Card 8. Paystub if lost time from work

3. Attorney- Client Confidential Relationship   First, I want to thank our     clients for giving me the opportunity to assist them in their case.  I am a legal     professional and I have great pride and confidence in the legal services that I perform     for clients during our relationship as attorney-client. If you have concerns about your     case, please call my office at (732) 572-0500.      We feel that     this case is extremely important-not only to you, but to this office as well. This is not     simply a matter of obtaining just compensation for you, although that is very important.      We take professional pride in guiding our clients carefully through difficult times     to a satisfactory conclusion of their cases.   

4. Submission of Bills to (1) Car Insurance and (2) Major Medical   You     should submit your medical bills to your own car insurance company first. Your car     insurance is required by New Jersey law to provide PIP (Personal Injury Protection)     benefits under the No Fault Law. This means your car insurance company, not the careless     driver, pay the majority of medical bills.   Please provide insurance     information to each doctor, MRI facility and treatment provider.  Please request they     submit bills and attending physician reports to your car insurance company.  There is     now minimum deductibles under the PIP Law.  There is an initial $250.00 deductible,     and thereafter your car insurance company pays 80% of medical bills under a medical fee     schedule established by the State Dept. of Insurance.  Your primary treating doctor     must also follow "Care Path". Submit portions of bills  the car insurance     does not pay to your major medical carrier (ex- Blue Cross, Connecticut General). The Law     Office of Kenneth Vercammen can provide a more detailed brochure explaining how car     insurance works.

5. Diary   We want you to keep a diary of your experiences since your     accident.  In addition to this daily record, we also ask you to start describing a     single day in the course of your life.  In other words, describe what you do when you     get up in the morning, the first thing you do after you go to work, what type of work and     effort  you put into your employment, what activities you engage in after work, etc.      In other words, we need you to describe the changes in your working life, your     playing life, your life as a husband or wife or child or parent.  In your written     description of your day, we would  appreciate your explanation in the greatest detail     possible and in your own words how the accident and subsequent injuries have affected your     life, your personality, and your outlook.  And remember that suffering does not     entail mere physical pain; suffering can be emotional and can be transmitted to your     family, friends, and co-workers.  When you have completed this description, please     return it to this office in the enclosed envelope.     Keep a diary of     all matters concerning this accident-no matter how trivial you think it may be. You should     include notes on the treatments you receive, therapy, casts, appliances, hospitalization,     change of doctors, change of medication, symptoms, recurrence, setbacks, disabilities and     inconveniences. If you have any doubt about the propriety of including some particular     information, please call the office and let us assist you.

6. Record expenses   You can also begin to set up a system for recording the     expenses incurred in conjunction with your claim in minute detail.  Medical and legal     expenses are a strong part of the value of your lawsuit, so good records of these expenses     must be kept at all times.     From time to time, however, there will     be expenses incurred that you must keep track of yourself.  We ask you to make every     effort to avoid any possible error or inaccuracy as jurors have a relentless reverence for     the truth.  Keep your canceled checks and your list of expenses together, for we will     need them at a later date.    Your attorney will keep track of your legal     expenses, which may include costs of filing, service of process, investigation, reports,     depositions, witness fees, jury fees, etc.

7. Investigation and Filing of Complaint   Procedurally, the following events     occur in most personal injury cases. First, your attorney must complete our investigation     and file. This will involve the collection of information from your physician, your     employer, and our investigator.  We will need your Doctors to provide us with copies     of all bills, medical records and possibly a medical report.    When we     feel that we have sufficient information to form an opinion as to the financial extent of     your damages, we will commence negotiations with the opposition for a settlement. If the     insurance company will not make an adequate offer, then a Complaint and Case Information     Statement is prepared by your attorney.  It is filed in the Superior Court, Law     Division.  Your attorney then will prepare a summons and have the defendants     personally served with the Summons and Complaint. The defendant, through their insurance     company, must file an "Answer" within 35 days.          Kenneth Vercammen's office generally does not file a     Complaint until the treating doctor signs an "Affidavit of Merit" setting forth     why the injury is permanent and the diagnostic tests upon which the permanent injury is     based. You will need to speak with your doctor to ask if you have a permanent injury.

8. Interrogatory Questions and Discovery   The Answer is followed by a     request for written interrogatories. These are questions that must be answered by each     party. The Superior Court has set up certain "Form" Interrogatories which are     contained in the Rules of Court. Generally, written interrogatories are followed by the     taking of depositions, which is recorded testimony given under oath by any person the     opposition wishes to question. The deposition is just as important as the trial itself. In     the event you are deposed during the course of this action, you will receive detailed     instructions as to the procedure and will be requested to watch a videotape. After taking     depositions, the case will be set down for an Arbitration. If the parties do not settle     after the Arbitration, the case will be given a trial call date.   Altogether,     these procedures may take from six months to several years, and your patience may be     sorely tried during this time. However, it has been our experience that clients who are     forewarned have a much higher tolerance level for the slowly turning wheels of justice.

9. Doctor/ Treatment   It will help your case to tell us and your doctors     about any injury or medical problems before or after your accident. Good cases can be lost     by the injured person's concealing or forgetting an earlier or later injury or medical     problem. Insurance companies keep a record of any and all claims against any insurance     company. The insurance company is sure to find out if you have ever made a previous claim.       Tell your doctors all of your complaints. The doctor's records can only be as     complete as what you have given. Keep track of all prescriptions and medicines taken     accompanied by the bills.  Also save all bottles or containers of medicine.         10. Bills   Retain all bills which relate to your damages,     including medical expenses, hospital expenses, drugs and medicines, therapy, appliances,     and anything needed to assist you in your recovery. If possible, pay these bills by check     or money order, so that a complete record may be kept. If this is not possible, be certain     to obtain a complete receipt with the bill heading on it, to indicate where the receipt     came from and the party issuing it.   11. Evidence   Be certain to     keep anything that comes into your possession which might be used as evidence in your     case, such as shoes, clothing, glasses, photographs, defective machinery, defective parts,     foreign substances which may have been a factor in your accident, etc. Be sure to let the     office know that you have these items in your possession.   12. Photographs       Take photographs of all motor vehicles, accident site, etc., that may be     connected directly or indirectly with your accident. Again, be sure to let the office know     that you have such photographs.

The value of a case depends on the Permanent Injury, medical treatment and doctor's     reports   Undoubtedly, you have questions as to how much your case is worth.      We are going to be frank:  The fact of the matter is there can be no answer to     this question until we have completed the investigation in your case.          Once we complete our investigation, of course, we can make a determination as     to the amount of the defendant's liability, if any, and even at that we will only be at a     starting point.  After that, we must obtain all necessary information concerning your     lost wages, your disability, your partial disability, your life changes, and your     prognosis.  You may rest assured of one thing, however, and that is the fact that     your case will not be settled below its true value, that is the fair compensation for the     injuries you have received.  You may also rest assured that no settlement agreement     will be entered into without your consent.

Conclusion   We appreciate that this is a great deal of information to     absorb.  We also appreciate that our requests for client's assistance have been     numerous.  However, we are certain that our clients appreciate having this     information from the outset.  Each request and bit of information given here     represents an important part in recovering full value for your injury.  Therefore, we     respectfully request your full cooperation. If you have questions or concerns regarding     these instructions, we encourage you to feel free to contact the office at any time.