Texas Motor Vehicle Accident Commission? (non-bb)

[Waldo]

I was in a wreck on Friday afternoon (not my fault), and I was just contacted by someone claiming to be from this organization. They want me to go to a doctor for a checkup tomorrow to make sure I'm not injured and such. He said they were formed a year ago to protect people who have been in accidents.

 A Google search didn't seem to turn up anything relevant.  Is this for real? Why do I feel like I've just been had?

[No? in Austin]

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I was in a wreck on Friday afternoon (not my fault), and I was just contacted by someone claiming to be from this organization. They want me to go to a doctor for a checkup tomorrow to make sure I'm not injured and such. He said they were formed a year ago to protect people who have been in accidents.

 A Google search didn't seem to turn up anything relevant.  Is this for real? Why do I feel like I've just been had?

Ambulance chasers.  Beware.

[BudGirl]

Maybe you can find this "agency" at the link below.  Sounds fake though.

The Link

[Waldo]

I just got a call from the Central Texas Collision Council.  Now I'm convinced it's a scam.

What do I do?  Just not show up tomorrow, or call back and cancel?

[EasTexAstro]

Anyone know any lawyers?

[No? in Austin]

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I just got a call from the Central Texas Collision Council.  Now I'm convinced it's a scam.

What do I do?  Just not show up tomorrow, or call back and cancel?

Law firms are not... repeat *NOT* allowed to solicit for business in terms of personal injury unless it's through proper and approved methods.  Basically, they cannot contact you personally.  However, there is nothing to stop a "commission" or an "agency" to contact you to advise you of legal rights you have in such cases.  I'm fuzzy about what they can do with the information or even the advise they can give you in terms of pointing you towards law firms they are associated with.

But suffice it to say, if you feel you have a case of personal injury, then contact the lawyer of your choice and not one who uses this method to try and get money from either you or the defendent or both.  They're not looking out of you, they're looking out for a good opportunity to settle a case out of court easily and efficiently to stuff their own pockets.

You can also talk to the insurance holder of the other party involve on your own behalf.  Be very careful negotiating with them if you have an injury case that you feel is necessary for you to get representation.  One of the questions the insurance agency will ask you is if you've hired a firm to represent you.  If the answer is yes, they will stop talking to you immediately and talk only to your lawyer.

Pick a lawyer you trust in that instance... hell, in all instances.

[pravata]

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I was in a wreck on Friday afternoon (not my fault), and I was just contacted by someone claiming to be from this organization. They want me to go to a doctor for a checkup tomorrow to make sure I'm not injured and such. He said they were formed a year ago to protect people who have been in accidents.

 A Google search didn't seem to turn up anything relevant.  Is this for real? Why do I feel like I've just been had?

Checked the Central Texas BBB, no listing.  But, any company that has a name this close to a government agency name is a scam.  Call your auto insurance agent.

[HudsonHawk]

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I just got a call from the Central Texas Collision Council.  Now I'm convinced it's a scam.

What do I do?  Just not show up tomorrow, or call back and cancel?

It's a scam.  I'd blow it off.

[No? in Austin]

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I was in a wreck on Friday afternoon (not my fault), and I was just contacted by someone claiming to be from this organization. They want me to go to a doctor for a checkup tomorrow to make sure I'm not injured and such. He said they were formed a year ago to protect people who have been in accidents.

 A Google search didn't seem to turn up anything relevant.  Is this for real? Why do I feel like I've just been had?

Checked the Central Texas BBB, no listing.  But, any company that has a name this close to a government agency name is a scam.  Call your auto insurance agent.

That is the best thing to do.  Insurance agency to talk to the other insurance agency in such matters.  It is efficient and what they're there to do for you.

[Limey]

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What do I do?  Just not show up tomorrow, or call back and cancel?

Whatever you do, don't sign anything.

[Arky Vaughan]

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I was in a wreck on Friday afternoon (not my fault), and I was just contacted by someone claiming to be from this organization. They want me to go to a doctor for a checkup tomorrow to make sure I'm not injured and such. He said they were formed a year ago to protect people who have been in accidents.

 A Google search didn't seem to turn up anything relevant.  Is this for real? Why do I feel like I've just been had?

Checked the Central Texas BBB, no listing.  But, any company that has a name this close to a government agency name is a scam.  Call your auto insurance agent.

That is the best thing to do.  Insurance agency to talk to the other insurance agency in such matters.  It is efficient and what they're there to do for you.

If you call your own insurance company, you might be asked to file a report that would result in an increase in your rates.

[HudsonHawk]

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If you call your own insurance company, you might be asked to file a report that would result in an increase in your rates.

Not if your insurance company doesn't have to pay, and even then, they cannot raise your rate if your claim is under a certain dollar figure (I think my insurance guy told me $2,500).

[OldBlevins]

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If you call your own insurance company, you might be asked to file a report that would result in an increase in your rates.

Not if your insurance company doesn't have to pay, and even then, they cannot raise your rate if your claim is under a certain dollar figure (I think my insurance guy told me $2,500).

Bogus.  Here's a link to the Secretary of State's list of state agencies and they're not on it.  The Link

If these jokers call again, ask for a return phone number, then tell them you'll contact the State Bar Association if they call again.

[NeilT]

I believe this is the same group that contacted me earlier this year about helping the widow of Mr. Imduse Mugabwe, the former Nigerian Undersecretary of Housing and Transportation, transfer $18,000,000 to a bank in the Caymen Islands.  I sent them the money to start the process, but I've never heard back from them.  If they call you back, Waldo, would you ask them about it?

[OldBlevins]

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I believe this is the same group that contacted me earlier this year about helping the widow of Mr. Imduse Mugabwe, the former Nigerian Undersecretary of Housing and Transportation, transfer $18,000,000 to a bank in the Caymen Islands.  I sent them the money to start the process, but I've never heard back from them.  If they call you back, Waldo, would you ask them about it?

Now that you mention it, they're the same people who helped me increase my penis size.

[Waldo]

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I just got a call from the Central Texas Collision Council.  Now I'm convinced it's a scam.

What do I do?  Just not show up tomorrow, or call back and cancel?

Law firms are not... repeat *NOT* allowed to solicit for business in terms of personal injury unless it's through proper and approved methods.  Basically, they cannot contact you personally.  However, there is nothing to stop a "commission" or an "agency" to contact you to advise you of legal rights you have in such cases.  I'm fuzzy about what they can do with the information or even the advise they can give you in terms of pointing you towards law firms they are associated with.

But suffice it to say, if you feel you have a case of personal injury, then contact the lawyer of your choice and not one who uses this method to try and get money from either you or the defendent or both.  They're not looking out of you, they're looking out for a good opportunity to settle a case out of court easily and efficiently to stuff their own pockets.

You can also talk to the insurance holder of the other party involve on your own behalf.  Be very careful negotiating with them if you have an injury case that you feel is necessary for you to get representation.  One of the questions the insurance agency will ask you is if you've hired a firm to represent you.  If the answer is yes, they will stop talking to you immediately and talk only to your lawyer.

Pick a lawyer you trust in that instance... hell, in all instances.

I am not hurt.  My neck was stiff on Saturday/Sunday, but I am fine now.  That's why it seemed a little fishy that they were encouraging me to come in for an exam, but this is the first wreck I've been involved in, and the name of the agency sounded legitimate enough.  Now I know better, I guess.

So I should just not show up tomorrow and not bother calling back?  Someone else also recommended I contact the attorney general.

[Limey]

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So I should just not show up tomorrow and not bother calling back?  Someone else also recommended I contact the attorney general.

These people sound like they live on the very limits of the law.  If you feel particularly civic-minded, call the AG.  Otherwise, just don't show up.  (This presumes you didn't sign anything nor agree to pay any fees in the event of a no-show).

[NeilT]

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So I should just not show up tomorrow and not bother calling back?  Someone else also recommended I contact the attorney general.

These people sound like they live on the very limits of the law.  If you feel particularly civic-minded, call the AG.  Otherwise, just don't show up.  (This presumes you didn't sign anything nor agree to pay any fees in the event of a no-show).

I think this is very good advice.

[Arky Vaughan]

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So I should just not show up tomorrow and not bother calling back?  Someone else also recommended I contact the attorney general.

These people sound like they live on the very limits of the law.  If you feel particularly civic-minded, call the AG.  Otherwise, just don't show up.  (This presumes you didn't sign anything nor agree to pay any fees in the event of a no-show).

They're not going to charge him any fees. These are personal-injury attorneys fishing for a client. The best course of action, if Waldo can confirm a name and contact information, is file a complaint with the state bar, which is much more likely to act than the attorney general.

[Limey]

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They're not going to charge him any fees. These are personal-injury attorneys fishing for a client. The best course of action, if Waldo can confirm a name and contact information, is file a complaint with the state bar, which is much more likely to act than the attorney general.

Last time I filed a complaint at the State Bar, I was refused further service.

[Andyzipp]

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They're not going to charge him any fees. These are personal-injury attorneys fishing for a client. The best course of action, if Waldo can confirm a name and contact information, is file a complaint with the state bar, which is much more likely to act than the attorney general.

Last time I filed a complaint at the State Bar, I was refused further service.

Once again, not all waitstaff appreciates the reach-around.  I'd think you'd understand that by now.

[OldBlevins]

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They're not going to charge him any fees. These are personal-injury attorneys fishing for a client. The best course of action, if Waldo can confirm a name and contact information, is file a complaint with the state bar, which is much more likely to act than the attorney general.

Last time I filed a complaint at the State Bar, I was refused further service.

Once again, not all waitstaff appreciates the reach-around.  I'd think you'd understand that by now.

Most lawyers do, though.

[geezerdonk]

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My neck was stiff on Saturday/Sunday, but I am fine now

You just think you're fine. In fact, you are hurt - real bad. You have extensive soft tissue damage that cannot be confirmed by any recognized objective testing; nevertheless you are in for a lifetime of pain and suffering, impotence, sterility, mental anguish, emotional distress, limited employment opportunities, etc.

[Limey]

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You just think you're fine. In fact, you are hurt - real bad. You have extensive soft tissue damage that cannot be confirmed by any recognized objective testing; nevertheless you are in for a lifetime of pain and suffering, impotence, sterility, mental anguish, emotional distress, limited employment opportunities, etc.

They'd like to add "loss of consortium", but there's nothing wrong with his hand.

[Dobro]

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My neck was stiff on Saturday/Sunday, but I am fine now

You just think you're fine. In fact, you are hurt - real bad. You have extensive soft tissue damage that cannot be confirmed by any recognized objective testing; nevertheless you are in for a lifetime of pain and suffering, impotence, sterility, mental anguish, emotional distress, limited employment opportunities, etc.

Obviously, this guy is being a wise-ass, but it isn't smart to proclaim to anyone at this point, "I am not hurt."  You really don't know.  A family member was involved in a rear-end collision and she simply had a stiff neck in the beginning.  It gradually got worse and we started to suspect that it was more than just whiplash.  She finally went and had a MRI and found out she had two herniated discs in her neck.  Now, the responsible insurance company is trying to make her look like a con artist because she didn't follow through with all the medical procedures in a quicker fashion.

She, indeed, cannot work in the same sense that she once could and will probably never be as healthy as she was prior to the accident.  And she is in a great deal of pain on a daily basis.

[Limey]

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Obviously, this guy is being a wise-ass, but it isn't smart to proclaim to anyone at this point, "I am not hurt."  You really don't know.  A family member was involved in a rear-end collision and she simply had a stiff neck in the beginning.  It gradually got worse and we started to suspect that it was more than just whiplash.  She finally went and had a MRI and found out she had two herniated discs in her neck.  Now, the responsible insurance company is trying to make her look like a con artist because she didn't follow through with all the medical procedures in a quicker fashion.

She, indeed, cannot work in the same sense that she once could and will probably never be as healthy as she was prior to the accident.  And she is in a great deal of pain on a daily basis.

As usual, it is the fakers who give genuine suffers a bad name.  Not that insurance companies are Robin Hood's looking to dole out cash to the poor and unfortunate, but you can understand why a certain cynicism can become ingrained.  They have to protect themselves from the ocean of sharks out there looking to take a bite.

In a similar story, Mrs Limey was t-boned by some twat running a light.  He declined medical attention at the scene but later claimed injury.  Eventually, his own greed torpedoed his claim, but that doesn't mean he wasn't hurt.  He may have not started to feel his injury until after all the booze wore off.