• Be sure to call 911 first thing and tell them exactly what happened. 
• Know to contact your insurance company immediately; your insurance policy may require that you do so. 
• Carry a smart phone. It has camera and video options that can record visual and audio details of the scene. Take images of the damaged vehicles and any injuries sustained. 
• Don’t admit any liability or fault on your part. Just state the facts. It is the job of the insurance investigators to determine liability after they gather all the facts. Don’t provide anything in writing to an insurance adjuster, if you are not absolutely sure what it is you are signing. Also, don’t sign any releases or waivers of any kind without consulting an attorney.
• Ask the other party to give you their phone number, email, driver’s license number and insurance information. Take a picture of their driver’s license and insurance card with your smart phone. Give any information to the police; however, police do not always come to the scene if both parties report they are fine at that time and their cars are drivable. If there is no police officer, take the information to your attorney.
• Look over your insurance policy in advance and be sure you understand it. Know how much coverage your policy provides, such as Personal Injury Protection (PIP). You must have a minimum PIP of $2,500 in Texas unless you signed a written rejection. 
• Take down names, numbers and emails of any witnesses. 
• Know to take notes of all contact you have with insurance agents and all other people involved in the claims process.
• Save any receipts and bills that have to do with your insurance claim, such as for repair work, damages or medical costs.
• Remember to honestly tell insurance investigators and adjusters the details of the accident so that your claim is not denied.
• Make certain that the time limit to file your insurance claim does not run out; most third party injury claims for car accidents in Texas have a two-year statute of limitations.

• The Directive to Physicians also known as your Living Will, declares to everyone your wishes with respect to life-prolonging treatments and procedures.
• The HIPAA Authorization also known as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act permits you to name individuals who can have access to your medical information and procedures.
• The Declaration of Guardian allows you to name individuals you want to be the guardian of your person and estate in the event of incapacity AND further allows you to name an individual or individuals who you DO NOT want to be the guardian of your person and/or estate.

• Last Will and Testament
• Specifies asset distribution upon your death
• Statutory Durable Power of Attorney
• Empowers you to decide who controls your assets if you are
• Incapacitated and not able to do so, or if you are planning a trip and not able to take care of your finances
• Power of Attorney for Healthcare 
• Gives you control over who makes medical decisions on your behalf if you are incapacitated and not able to do so
• Directive to Physicians (Living Will) 
• Enables you to decide which, if any, life-sustaining treatments you want in the event of a terminal or irreversible medical condition

• a guardian of the person is someone who is responsible for making medical decisions, as well as where to live, go to school, etc.
• a guardian of the estate (if necessary) is someone who is responsible for all of the estate’s assets such as money, financial decisions, etc.

1. a husband and wife;
2. joint managing conservators;
3. co-guardians appointed under the laws of a jurisdiction other than this state; or
4. both parents of an adult who is incapacitated if the incapacitated person:
• has not been the subject of a suit affecting the parent-child relationship; or
• has been the subject of a suit affecting the parent-child relationship and both of the incapacitated person's parents were named as joint managing conservators in the suit but are no longer serving in that capacity.

1.  Find a reputable attorney with whom you feel comfortable. Just as you choose a doctor, you should interview several different lawyers until you sense a good fit.  Ask friends and family too, as well as the Dallas Bar Association.  Many attorneys will provide a fee consultation, including The Ashmore Law Firm.  Be sure to ask questions about how billing is handled, retainer fees and other matters.
2. Some divorce attorneys may promise you the moon, such as offering their services for an extremely low cost.  Another possible red flag is a lack of contact between you and the attorney.  Make certain that you will be regularly updated on the status of your divorce proceedings.
3. Seek counseling; divorce can be hard on your emotions and those of your children or others involved.  The fact that one household is being split in two—like dissolving a partnership—can have serious consequences for everyone’s state of mind.
4. Consider a pre-nuptial agreement.  Increasingly more common, such a document provides more of a safety net than not having one because it spells out how everything would be divided if the marriage were ever to end.
5. Find a roadmap. Books like Childless and Loveless: What You Need to Know About Divorce in Texas, which can be downloaded free from our website, provide valuable insight into exactly what you may be getting into along the path of divorce, from discovery and mediation to divorces that are contested.  Written by a Dallas divorce attorney, the book clearly covers various aspects of Texas law and helps take the confusion out of the divorce process.

1.  You have an underlying or hidden medical condition that was missed in your initial examinations following the wreck. We have seen clients who initially appear to be okay following their accident based upon diagnostic studies.  However, with the passage of time their symptoms get worse and they do in fact have a medical problem.

2.  Your health plan has a right to subrogation and/or reimbursement.

1.) PIP covers 80% of documented lost wages and earnings – Med-Pay has no coverage for lost wages and only covers medical bills;

2.) PIP does not have to be repaid to your insurer, even if you recover from a third party – If you recover from a third party, Med Pay must be paid back to your insurer;

3.) PIP will even cover medical expenses incurred due to an accident on a motorcycle, moped, scooter or motorized bicycle designed for use on public roads – Med-Pay excludes coverage for medical expenses incurred due to injuries while on a motorized vehicle having fewer than 4 wheels.

1.) 100% of reasonable expenses incurred for necessary medical and funeral services; and/or
2.) 80% of a covered person’s documented loss of income from employment, up to your available per person limits.