What to Do In Case of An Auto Accident

Important Phone Numbers

Emergency: 911

Florida Highway Patrol (*347)

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office: 813-247-8000

Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office: 727-582-6200

Tampa Bay Traffic Information: 511

The Rebein Law Firm: 877-305-PAUL (7285)

Auto Accident Reminders

1. STOP – it’s the law, Florida Law requires you to stop at the scene of an accident

2. CHECK FOR INJURIES – Check yourself and passengers for injuries. If another car was involved check to see if they are injured

3. MOVE MINOR DAMAGED VEHICLES- to the side of the road, providing there are no injuries and the vehicles are moveable. This helps alleviate congestion.

4. CALL THE POLICE – and if necessary emergency medical services

5. TAKE PICTURES – Use a disposable camera to picture of the vehicles, scene, and injuries

6. STOP AND GET INFO-

a. GET TIME, DATE, AND LOCATION OF THE ACCIDENT

b. NAME, ADDRESS & PHONE NUMBER OF OTHER DRIVERS AND WITNESSES

c. DRIVER’S LICENSE AND TAG NUMBER OF OTHER DRIVERS

d. NAME AND POLICY NUMBER OF OTHERS DRIVERS INSURANCE COMPANY

7. DON’T DISCUSS THE ACCIDENT WITH OTHER DRIVERS – wait until the police arrive and respectfully discuss the accident with them

8. HAVE YOUR PHYSICAL CONDITION CHECKED – and if necessary seek immediate medical treatment for your injuries. Let an auto accident medical professional determine your condition

9. CONTACT YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY – to report the accident

10. GET A COPY OF THE POLICE REPORT – from the local precinct

11. CONTACT US AT THE REBEIN LAW FIRM 877-305- PAUL(7285) – to discuss your rights

12. DO NOT- give a recorded statement or sign any release until you talk with the auto accident attorney Paul Rebein at The Rebein Law Firm.

5 Tips for selecting the right Personal Injury Attorney

1. Do Your Research: Check out popular sites like AVVO, and check the attorneys rating, experience, and industry recognition. Read in articles the attorney has written, check out client testimonials and customer reviews.

2. Always request a personal consultation. Do you get to meet with the lawyer? Is it friendly atmosphere. How are you received when you walk in the door? Do the answer the phones with patience, do they treat the clients with respect.

3. Ask your friends and colleagues. Who would they recommend as a great personal injury lawyer. Who gives the best results, who has the highest customer satisfaction rating.

4. Create a useful list of questions to ask the attorney in regards to your case and his experience in personal injury. Good questions to ask are like: What is your success rate on personal injury cases? How often do you settle cases? How many cases did you work with that are similar to mine? What are common practices? What pitfalls should I be aware of?

5. Last but not least. What are the cost? Is the initial consultation free? Do they charge by the hour. What are the attorneys fees? Will you pay upfront out of pocket, or from your settlement? Does the attorney notify of your fees upfront, does he explain clearly the attorney costs.

***Choosing an attorney is an important decision and here at the Rebein Law Firm, we respond to the clients needs. Each and every case is unique, and we want to give the best value and performance that is suited, best for you the client. If you been in an accident call 813-305-PAUL, and are firm is ready to help you recover money damages for injuries caused by negligent drivers.

Pray for Plant City Teen Killed in I-4 Crash

Plant City Commissioner Mary Yvette Thomas Mathis asked for prayers for the family of a Plant City High School senior who was killed late April 11 in a traffic accident on Interstate 4.

Mathis made her request for the community to remember the family of 17-year-old Adam Riber during the April 12 city commission meeting.

Riber was killed when the car in which he was a passenger crashed at I-4 near McIntosh Road, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

Riber was pronounced dead at the scene.

The accident is still under investigation; no charges have been filed, the highway patrol said.

Our prayers and condolences go out to Adam and his family.

Tampa Tribune Covers Wrongful Eviction Case

In this Sunday’s Tampa Tribune, there was an excellent story on our fight to help the man who was wrongfully evicted by Chase Bank.  Read the full story here.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, please call 813-305-PAUL or email paul@rebeinlaw.com for a free initial consultation.

Paul Rebein Chosen for Florida Legal Elite for 2010

Paul Rebein has been chosen as one of the Florida Legal Elite for 2010.  The Legal Elite selection process was rigorous.  It began with an invitation to all members of the bar to provide the names of the Florida Lawyers they hold in the highest regard–lawyers they have worked with personally or would recommend to others.  The votes were tallied by an independent research firm, and a Blue Ribbon Panel of prominent lawyers reviewed the list of attorneys who garnered the most votes.

We are pleased to accept this prestigous award and look forward to living up to the title of Florida’s Legal Elite!

Update on Wrongful Eviction Case

The Rebein Law Firm has continued its fight against Chase Bank on behalf of a man who was wrongfully evicted from his home and forced to live in his car.  The latest development was that the power and water were turned off in the house, forcing our client back into his car.  Click here to see the latest news coverage of the case.

Rebein Law Firm Helps Man Who Was Wrongfully Evicted By Chase Bank

The Rebein Law Firm is representing a man who was wrongfully evicted by Chase Bank from the house he was renting.  They tossed all of his possessions out on the lawn and, by the time he arrived home from a trip, all of his stuff was taken.  He was forced to live in his car.  We were able to get the judge to order Chase to let him back into the house and we’re going to mediation to recover the value of his lost property. 

Watch TV coverage of the story here.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, call Paul at 813-305-PAUL or email paul@rebeinlaw.com for free initial consultation.

Should Law Enforcement Crack Down on People Who Don’t Wear Their Seat Belts?

Today marks the kick of f of a “Click it or ticket” seat belt enforcement program. During the crackdown, Florida law enforcement officials will be setting up seat belt enforcement checkpoints and ticketing drivers and passengers who aren’t buckled up. Obviously, seat belts save lives and everyone should be encouraged to wear them. Every day we see people killed in accidents who are not buckled up. This is especially true for young children whose lives are in the hands of adults who should do everything they can to protect them. But some argue that seat belt usage–like other risky activities–is a matter of choice and you should not be penalized for not wearing them. What do you think? Should law enforcement ticket people who are not wearing their seat belt?

Are Red Light Cameras a Good Idea?

Counties all over Florida are installing red light cameras in an effort to catch people who run red lights and to boost revenues.  As a personal injury lawyer who cares about traffic safety, I am all for anything that keeps people from running through red lights.  As someone who cares about our constitutional rights, however, I don’t like them.  It is just wrong that you can get ticketed with no police officer there as a witness.  If someone else borrowed your car and ran a red light, how could you prove it wasn’t you driving the car?

A Miami-Dade judge recently ruled that Aventura overstepped state law when it started using red light cameras because using the cameras without a police officer at the scene when the violations occur is invalid.

Recently, a Spring Hill lawmaker filed a bill that would prevent local governments from using red light cameras, calling them a “hidden tax.”  He has a point.  In Brooksville, where the cameras are installed, they have issued more than 5,000 citations as of January 1. 

Some people even argue that red light cameras make people slam on the brakes when they see the camera take their picture and actually cause more accidents.

So… what do you think?  Are Red Light Cameras a good idea?

Florida Should Pass Ban on Texting While Driving

It is so tempting.  You are driving down the road when, “ding” you get a text.  Initially, you keep your eyes on the road, but as time passes the temptation to find out what important message has just been sent to you is just too great.  You pick up the phone and glance down at the text and read it.  This takes about 2 seconds.   You keep driving, but soon the temptation to respond gets to you again.  You grab your phone and start typing in the response.  You might even steer with your knees so you can type with both hands.  As you finish typing, you look up and suddenly see that you have been looking down for 5 seconds and you have almost run into the car in front of you that is stopped at a light.

This is an all too common scenario.  Tragically, drivers often don’t react in time and plow into the back of the vehicle in front of them.  It is unclear how many accidents are caused by drivers who are texting, because drivers rarely admit that they are texting.

Florida is considering passing a bill to ban texting while driving.  Please contact your representative  to urge them to pass this important piece of safety legislation.  To read more on this topic, click here.

If you or a loved one is injured in an accident, please call Paul at 813-305-PAUL (7285) or email Paul@rebeinlaw.com for a free initial consultation.

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