| "I Didn't Realize I Had So Few Friends" | | | | |
| | | | The lack of clear rules and rights overwhelms |
| Minneapolis, MN, August, 2002 - When Daniel | | | | car crash victims, often traumatized and |
| Prins' wife was injured in a car crash he | | | | shell-shocked. This is especially true in |
| thought all he had to do was notify his | | | | states with No-Fault provisions and damage |
| insurance company to get matters resolved. | | | | limits. Even more disconcerting is that it is |
| After all, another driver who was charged | | | | difficult to obtain good information. The |
| with DWI hit his wife Johanna and she was | | | | Internet's search engines, for example, |
| taken to the hospital by ambulance. | | | | provide few clues for victims and are skewed |
| | | | to offering suggestions and advice for |
| After weeks of frustration, Prins, Marketing | | | | accident perpetrators and those seeking DWI |
| Consultant, built an Internet Assistance | | | | defense. |
| Program "The Car Crash Victims Alliance Of | | | | |
| America." The site provides free information | | | | The Road To The Attorney's Office |
| for car crash victims on how to protect | | | | |
| themselves against serious financial exposure | | | | "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 |
| "I Didn't Realize I Had So Few Friends" | | | | league. Just imagine, I had to negotiate with |
| | | | my own insurance carrier about the pay-off |
| While insurance company claims personnel are | | | | value of my car while the accident was caused |
| usually courteous, Prins had no idea that his | | | | by a DWI driver with another insurance |
| wife's case was immediately | | | | carrier." Prins credits his attorney with |
| "compartmentalized". He had to deal with a | | | | expediting the damage recovery process, and |
| cast of about a dozen (medical bills from the | | | | his web site now chronicles a step-by-step |
| hospital, his own and other driver's main | | | | selection process. |
| insurance contact, the police, claims | | | | |
| adjusters, property damage, etc.). In the | | | | The Car Crash Victims Alliance Of America |
| process, he found out that most of these | | | | |
| individuals have their own agenda. Said | | | | The site Car Crash Victims Alliance Of |
| Prins:" I believe the only people truly on | | | | Americaat provides FREE information and |
| our side were the Emergency Crew and Police | | | | planning tools for accident victims. "If |
| at the scene of the accident." | | | | nothing else," says Prins, "visiting our site |
| | | | will save accident victims hours on the |
| Accident Frequency Is Astonishing | | | | phone. We suggest the do's and don'ts." It |
| | | | includes a section with Frequently Asked |
| About 42,000 people are killed on our | | | | Questions, Check Lists, Helpful Links, etc. |
| nation's highways each year. The fact is | | | | The site is funded by attorney listings and |
| vehicle crashes are an even greater threat to | | | | specialty products sales and services. |
| life and health in the U.S. than crime! In | | | | |
| 2000, there was one murder every 34 minutes, | | | | Powerful Allies |
| while one person died from a traffic crash | | | | |
| every 13 minutes. There was one violent crime | | | | The Car Crash Victims Alliance Of America |
| every 22 seconds, but one crash-related | | | | links to powerful Federal programs at Brakes |
| injury every 10 seconds. Traffic crashes are | | | | On Fatalities ( and Buckle Up, America ( "If |
| the leading cause of death in the U.S. for | | | | we can help prevent one accident by having |
| people ages 6-33, and their economic cost is | | | | people visit these sites and the information |
| estimated to be $230.6 billion per year. | | | | they convey, we have made a meaningful |
| | | | contribution", says Prins. |
| Victim-unfriendly Environment | | | | |