If you’ve had a vehicle accident and there is damage to your car or to another car involved you are entitled to claim car accident insurance. Unless you are incapacitated, the first thing you should do is to get the details from the other vehicle owner and call your insurance company and make a claim. When you do this you are formally notifying your insurance company that you have suffered a loss or damage you believe is covered by your policy and you are asking for them to act.
Even if you think the damage to either car is minimal, or you think you are only slightly injured you should seek medical attention and have your car checked for damage. Part of the process for most insurance companies is to ask you to get quotes from several car repairers, depending on the rules in place with your insurer. If it is accepted, the insurer will calculate the value of your claim and provide the proper benefit specified in your contract.
The best, hassle-free way to deal with all of this stress is to hire a car accident lawyer.
There are lawyers who help with reimbursing or claiming insurance for injury suffered in the accident and dealing with injury settlements and accident lawyers who help with compensations claims.
Here are things the lawyer can help you do while claiming insurance and things you can do:
- After a car accident, the first thing you do is assess the damages, either for personal injuries or property damage. Taking photographs of your injuries or the damage to the car can help you claim car accident compensation.
- In cases of whiplash injuries, your personal injury lawyer can file for compensation. Such neck injuries account for a quarter of all injuries sustained in car accidents.
- Claiming your insurance can test your patience. The insurance company will start with the lowest price to offer as compensation. Either by consulting a lawyer, specifically a personal injury lawyer or motor vehicle accident lawyer, you can set a range of compensation amounts. On the proposed compensation, your lawyer may counter it with a rebuttal letter with a deserved amount.
- In cases of disability injury resulting from the accident, your disability lawyer may, on your behalf, propose to claim for the compensation.
- In cases of when the injured was ‘on duty,’ driving to or from a job, worker’s compensation comes into play. The compensation lawyers can help you with this claim.
- The lawyers also help you in claiming superannuation for the time you might be off work due to an accident either at work or driving to or from work.
- The no win no fee lawyers give you the safety of not paying the lawyer on unsuccessful claims.
- In cases of TPD (Total and Permanent Disability claims), a compensation lawyer can work for you to make sure you are granted the highest amount of compensation available. You are eligible for a large amount of compensation that will help you with medical bills and any support you need for the rest of your life.
Here are a few don’ts that you’d be wise to avoid:
- Don’t accept any final cheque or final payments till the required amount is settled or agreed upon. Consult your accident insurance lawyer before coming to a decision.
- In situations when the insurance agent denies a certain amount, you can always approach the supervisors or managers, but make sure not to settle for a lesser amount. Your accident insurance lawyers are able to help you resolve any conflict with your insurer.
- Avoid hiding details from the insurance agents and even your insurance lawyers. This might lead to a few of the points in the policy becoming invalid.
- Don’t accept any final payments or cheques with regard to the compensation without consulting your lawyer.
- The most important thing to avoid is making a commitment or making any settlements with the insurer before going through the policy entirely, and go through the coverage and policy terms.
- In situations where the insurance agent denies certain compensation, you can always approach the supervisors or managers, but make sure not to settle for a lesser amount.
- Don’t forget to consult an accident insurance lawyer before you accept anything.
These are some of the tips that can help you about claiming insurance for a car accident. Remember to contact your insurer as soon as possible, keep a record of the damage and all the resultant expenditure and also, make sure you get the amount that you deserve according to the severity of the property damage or the personal injury loss.
