Attorney Jim Wendt and Mike Morse

FAQs

• What should you do immediately after a car accident?

  According to Jim Wendt, get to a lawyer from day one and start lining up your paperwork right away, including photos of the vehicle damage and of your injuries, such as bruises. He says wage-loss records can be very difficult to round up, sometimes requiring help from an employer who may not be eager to assist, so if you know you’re hurt, start the day of the accident.

• What is PL/PD insurance, and is it enough coverage?

  Mike Morse said PL/PD stands for personal liability and property damage, the basic minimums required by law. Jim Wendt said it covers you if you injure somebody else and you still have your PIP coverage, but if your car gets wrecked you don’t have coverage for that. Both said you should have more than PL/PD; Mike recommended never having less than $500,000, and $1 million per accident, in liability coverage.

• What is uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, and why does it matter?

  Mike Morse explained that uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is optional. If a driver with no insurance hits you, you can turn to your own policy and sue your own insurance company, which steps into the shoes of the negligent driver; underinsured coverage helps when the at-fault driver’s policy is too small for your injuries. Mike recommends at least half a million dollars per person and says it’s very inexpensive.

• Which insurance companies are hardest to deal with, according to Jim Wendt?

  Jim Wendt named Auto Owners and State Farm as terrible to deal with and also mentioned Farm Bureau and Farmers Insurance. Asked whether any were easier to deal with, he called it a tough question; asked what he has on his own cars, he said Citizens, and that it seemed fine when he had it in the past.

• How honest should you be with your personal injury attorney?

  Jim Wendt says clients just have to be honest and give their lawyer everything, because leaving out things that might be important keeps the lawyer from giving the best advice possible. Asked about disclosing prior injuries, pain and accidents, he said credibility is your most important asset in these claims.