Afro-American courier. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1926-19??, 1939-03-01

"A
There countless record in which someone APP
rarenty only slightly injured turned up months later
with gigantic claim for real fancied damages
One man involved in slight accident said he
hurt though he might have banged himself in the door
of the car Later he sued for S50000 claiming that the
hise had aggravated his hernia requiring $4,000 worth
of abdominal surgery. Medical experts contended that
the accident had nothing to do with his plight But
investigation had been made at the time and the jury
believed the mans plausible story.
Next call a policeman state trooper. Jot down
the number of his shield to it that he notes all the
essential And if the other fellow violating traf
fc laws don't be sofhearted. Ask the officer to file
complaint. It's your job to keep the record straight
A young man, rocketing from side street in his
iallopy smashed into a brand-new Though it
clearly of reckless driving, the took
pity the youth and refused to press the charge.
week later shyster demanded $500 of her for wreckng
the iallopy. By this time, the boy had witnesses who
would it her fault. She paid.
Get and numbers Note the other cars regis
tration plates exchange licenses with its driver make
you knew who driving count the passengers
and observe their and color and whether they're
lame fit Sometimes sober passenger changes places
with drunken driver and if you think quick census
silly consider the of Bronx merchant
ing toward him the wrong side of wide street struck
his and turned Out crawed Negro and his
girl Unlnjured they called upon bysanders to help them
right their and drove away Because the merchant
guessed that if he sued he would get little he did
nothing few days later he himself was sued for injury
to nine Negroes all of whom that they the
and that the merchant driving on the wrong side
Of the road.
Note the position and condition of the cars how near
to the center of the street. how far from
or intersection where the in relation to each
other which damaged and where. Make rough
SKETCH possible for sharp observation of such points
may win for you If you have in the car
borrow one, it notwithstanding is impress
slve than pictures showing the position of the cars
damage, SkldmarkS, n
a man claimed that he had suffered injury by being
thrown from the back seat to the front But photo
graphs showed the to be damaged only the right
side proving that it physically impossible for man
to have been thrown forward
newspaper cameraman caught in smash-up photo
graphed the scene Later the opposing lawyer claimed
his client badly hurt that lay the pavement
until ambulance arrived But of the pictures show
ed this Unconscious" gentleman gesticulatng wildly in
the crowd. The dropped.
Round up the witnesses-not only those who saw til
happen, but those who later and testify to the
position of the wreckage Get their statements at once
Five minutes after accident witness recollection is
already sketchy five months aerward often totally I'M
reliable To the notorious reluctance of witness
es, don't ask for their first As-as police officers
are taught toa series of such questions such Did
notice which the wrong side the road" and
Don't you think reckless drivers should be penazed"
After answering several such questions witness more
likely to give his
Keep your witnesses names to yourself A leather
dealer was driving his truck slowly through congesed
New York street sX-year-old bow, dartng from be-
hnd parked plunged into the truck and was bad
y hurt The driver got the of two witnesses who
agreed he not at fault Nevertheless he was sued for
$1,000 To his surprise, these two turned up as wit
for the boys parents and testified that he had
been speeding. jury awarded against him. The two
hcke witnesses subsequently indicted for perjury
but the leather merchant still out his money. All
because he had given the to the police and shy
ster ndng them the, precinct blotter had offered
each man $500 to change his story.
AS soon you reach home sit down and write a full
account OF what happened before the details fade Every
second spent with pencil and paper may save you money
one SUIT was npped in the bud by alert driver whose
notes revealed that the other drivers wife had said
Darling, told you those brakes needed fixing"
WIRE or phone your insurance company at once: il
mas facilities for getting the essential facts promptly
lhey send representative, but be he identify
himself caller who merely says, I'm from the COM
pany may be shyser's runner and you may give your
case away to the other side
You may not be able to do all these things, but if
you can do some of them accurately and WE'LL you will
nd ipcido