Car accidents are an unfortunate reality of modern life. They happen every day, all over the world, to people who never expected it could happen to them. But when they do, there’s a lot of hassle involved in getting your car repaired and back on the road again. You may have trouble dealing with insurance companies or trying to find a qualified mechanic you can trust. And if this has happened before, then you know that it doesn’t just magically get better after one incident -- it gets worse and more expensive each time something goes wrong with your vehicle. This article will show how anyone can get what they need from their insurer after a car damaged in an accident without letting things spiral out of control!
Remain at the Scene of the Accident
If you were involved in a car accident and the authorities arrived at the scene, there may be legal and financial consequences if you left before they could file their report. If your insurance company finds out after the fact that you left, they will view this as an attempt to avoid responsibility for what happened. It’s important to remain at the scene of the accident and wait for law enforcement to arrive, even if it felt like long enough that you could have walked across town while waiting for them. You can’t do anything about it now, but if they find out that you left the scene, your insurer will likely deny any claims you file.
Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer to Help Negotiate a Settlement
You will have to hire a personal injury attorney to handle the insurance company on your behalf. You can’t just call them yourself and ask for a settlement because you did not cause the accident. It doesn’t matter whose fault it was if you were injured, so don’t try to negotiate, at least not directly. You or someone on your behalf needs to hire a lawyer for this.
They will be able to help you file your claim and negotiate a settlement with the insurer, or they can even take it over for you completely. If you were injured in an accident where the other party was at fault, make sure to seek legal counsel from Parnall Law Firm, LLC before accepting any offers from them directly. If the insurance adjuster has any evidence that you caused the accident, they will use it against you and make an example out of you because it happened before.
Call the Police
Wait for the police to arrive before making any judgment calls about responsibility. Even if you are positive that it was their fault, or they already admitted fault to you, or they were screaming at you for being injured, do not call your insurer yet! Wait until law enforcement has taken statements from everyone involved.
They will issue a police report, which you can provide to your insurer. If they find out that you had any involvement in the accident and made a phone call before waiting for the authorities, they may deny your claim because it’s clear that you were attempting to avoid responsibility. Otherwise, the insurance company will deny your claim because you were not legally allowed to make that call without consulting them first.
Obtain Witness Information
Find witnesses to the accident and get as much information from them as possible. They may not be willing to give their names but if they can tell you what happened or saw, that is a great start. Write down as many details as possible -- important people involved (don’t forget about yourself!), license plate numbers of nearby cars around the time of the incident, the weather conditions, etc. This can help your attorney negotiate a better settlement with the insurer.
Keep all of this information in a safe place after meeting up with your attorney, and have them provide you with the proper documentation as well. Again, it doesn’t matter whose fault it was if you were injured, so your insurance company will not be interested in the details of what happened to cause the accident in the first place. They will only see that you were involved and injuries may have occurred and denied your claim if they find out about it, or reduce your settlement for it.
Inform Your Insurance Company Right Away
If someone else caused the car damage, then it’s best to inform your insurer right away. You’ll need to determine who was at fault and get a police report from law enforcement to prove negligence. This is why it’s important that you don’t call them until the police arrive at the scene. Once they’ve issued their report, contact your insurance company and inform them of what happened.
Let them know who was responsible for the accident and how much it will cost to repair your vehicle. If you don’t need to make a claim on your own policy, you can use this as an opportunity to do so. If it’s a pretty big accident, your insurer will likely offer to cover some of the damages without any issue at all, simply because they don’t want the hassle.
It’s important to have a plan in the event that your car is damaged. The aftermath can be a complete nightmare if you’re not prepared for this eventuality, so it’s best to take steps before any accidents happen.
