crash victim.
"I Didn't Realize I Had So Few Friends"
Minneapolis, MN, August, 2002 – When Daniel Prins' wife was injured in a
car crash he thought all he had to do was notify his insurance company
to get matters resolved. After all, another driver who was charged with
DWI hit his wife Johanna and she was taken to the hospital by ambulance.
After weeks of frustration, Prins, Marketing Consultant, built an
Internet Assistance Program "The Car Crash Victims Alliance Of America."
The site provides free information for car crash victims on how to
protect themselves against serious financial exposure
"I Didn't Realize I Had So Few Friends"
While insurance company claims personnel are usually courteous, Prins
had no idea that his wife's case was immediately "compartmentalized". He
had to deal with a cast of about a dozen (medical bills from the
hospital, his own and other driver's main insurance contact, the police,
claims adjusters, property damage, etc.). In the process, he found out
that most of these individuals have their own agenda. Said Prins:" I
believe the only people truly on our side were the Emergency Crew and
Police at the scene of the accident."
Accident Frequency Is Astonishing
About 42,000 people are killed on our nation's highways each year. The
fact is vehicle crashes are an even greater threat to life and health in
the U.S. than crime! In 2000, there was one murder every 34 minutes,
while one person died from a traffic crash every 13 minutes. There was
one violent crime every 22 seconds, but one crash-related injury every
10 seconds. Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death in the U.S.
for people ages 6-33, and their economic cost is estimated to be $230.6
billion per year.
Victim-unfriendly Environment
The lack of clear rules and rights overwhelms car crash victims, often
traumatized and shell-shocked. This is especially true in states with
No-Fault provisions and damage limits. Even more disconcerting is that
it is difficult to obtain good information. The Internet's search
engines, for example, provide few clues for victims and are skewed to
offering suggestions and advice for accident perpetrators and those
seeking DWI defense.
The Road To The Attorney's Office
"I don't consider myself an ambulance chaser," said Prins, "but it only
took a short while for me to realize I was out of my league. Just
imagine, I had to negotiate with my own insurance carrier about the
pay-off value of my car while the accident was caused by a DWI driver
with another insurance carrier." Prins credits his attorney with
expediting the damage recovery process, and his web site now chronicles
a step-by-step selection process.
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