Tom Calcatera on How To Win Your Legal Case and Crazy Courtroom Experiences

FAQs

• What does Tom Calcatera advise people to do after a car accident?

  Tom Calcatera says to go see your doctors and get every part of you that hurts checked out, even if it’s minor, without hiding, exaggerating or underplaying anything. He says people often don’t realize what’s hurt until a day or a few days later because of adrenaline, and that many skip the ambulance because they think it will cost them money.

• What are signs of a traumatic brain injury or concussion after a crash?

  Mike Morse lists headaches, nausea or vomiting after the accident, whether you hit your head on the headrest, windshield or side, being more lethargic or tired, things smelling or tasting different, and having a hard time finding the right word. Tom Calcatera adds vision problems such as blurred or double vision, concentration problems, being a second off in remembering something, and irritability.

• What does Mike Morse say about the three-year statute of limitations?

  Mike Morse says there is a three-year statute of limitations, and the firm regularly hears from people who call five, six or seven years after an accident and has to tell them it can’t help. His advice is to get checked out now: if there is no injury, no claim is made, but if there is one, you have up to three years to file.

• Can social media posts hurt an injury claim?

  Mike Morse says insurance companies will argue that whatever you post makes you look bad, even something benign like celebrating a birthday or being at a party, so the firm asks clients to think about what they post; he stresses the firm does not tell people to delete anything. Tom Calcatera describes a case that fell apart after a client who said her back was horrible was shown on tape doing the limbo at a school event.

• How do insurance companies use surveillance on injury claimants?

  Tom Calcatera describes surveillance of clients walking out of a grocery store with two bags, after which the insurance company claims they were carrying bricks; he asks those clients for a receipt showing what they bought. Mike Morse says that when the firm pushes for the full surveillance, 99% of it is benign, such as someone walking to the curb to grab the mail.