hi everyone. i’m 22 from Dallas,TX and exactly one week ago i was making a left hand turn to get onto the freeway when a drunk driver came speeding and hit me head on. my cousin was in the car with me and thankfully only suffered whiplash, but i wasn’t as lucky. the impact shattered my dominant right wrist and radius.
i had emergency surgery where they put in a plate and screws. this is my first surgery ever and i’m still in a lot of pain. i’m on multiple medications to help manage it, i still can’t really use my right hand, and i need help with basic things like getting dressed and showering. i’m also out of work and have no idea when i’ll be able to go back.
everything happened so fast. i remember seeing the headlights, bracing myself, and then the airbags deployed. because my right hand was on the steering wheel while i was turning, the airbag slammed into my arm. as soon as the crash happened, my apple watch and iphone automatically detected the crash and called 911 before i could even process what had happened.
what happened after the crash honestly still feels unreal. as soon as we got hit, everyone from the other car got out and immediately started screaming and arguing with each other. it was obvious they were drunk. they opened my car door and were yelling at me to get out even though i was trapped by my seatbelt and my arm was clearly broken. one of them was even recording me while i was still sitting there injured. i told them to get away from me because i had already called the police and i was waiting for the paramedics to get me out of the car. once they realized i was already on the phone with 911, i watched them get into another car and leave the scene.
later, when the police met me at the hospital, they told me they had arrested four people in connection with what happened.
this is my first serious car accident. i’ve only ever been in small fender benders as a passenger. i’ve never had a major injury, never had surgery, and i’ve never had to deal with insurance or attorneys.
i hired jim adler as my personal injury attorney, but as of today, officially one week later, i really haven’t heard much from either my insurance company or my attorney. i know these things take time, but i honestly have no idea what this process is supposed to look like.
what should i expect over the next few weeks and months? how does the insurance process usually work? what does a personal injury attorney actually do in the beginning of a case? how often should i expect updates? is there anything you wish you had known after your accident?
i’ve already retained a personal injury attorney, but i’m completely new to this. what should i expect during the first few weeks? is it normal to not hear many updates after one week? should i still be communicating with my own insurance company, or should everything go through my attorney?
i just feel completely lost. one week ago i was dancing, working, and living my normal life. now i can’t even get dressed or shower by myself. i know i’ll eventually heal, but right now everything feels overwhelming, and i’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has been through something like this.
Location: Dallas,Tx