Once you have been in a car accident, your only concern will be to get the appropriate medical care for yourself or anyone that was in the car with you. When you have a moment to think about everything, your next thought might be how I will pay for everything. Just remember sometimes symptoms from your injuries could potentially show up much later. Here are a few simple things to think about after you have been in an accident that will help you minimize any risk when dealing with an insurance company.
1. Retain an attorney
An attorney will act on your behalf when dealing with any accident claims. They work for you and not the insurance company. An attorney will not let you take the first offer from the insurance company. He or she will act on your behalf and demand the highest compensation possible. Hiring a good accident attorney relieves you from any worry and allows you time to focus on your recovery.
2. Don’t take a quick settlement
Many insurance companies want to settle your claim quickly, so they don’t have to pay as much. Remember insurance companies are out to make a profit regardless of your pain and suffering. When an insurance adjuster contacts you, they will attempt to offer a quick settlement but remember it might not be a sensible move on your part to accept it because they will ask that you sign a form that will release of all your rights.
3. Gathering all information
This is not something that you think about when you are in an accident, but it will be imperative later. Murphy’s Law states that “Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong” so always be prepared. It’s better to have more information than necessary, then need more information and not have it.
Gather the following information if possible:
- Names of everyone involved
- Addresses
- Numbers of everyone
- Plate and registration information
- Insurance information
4. Recorded statements
The majority of insurance companies are only worried about one thing which is their bottom dollar, and they are always looking for ways to pay out the least amount possible. The company will look for any reason to decrease or reject a claim. When speaking to the other person’s insurance company after the accident, a recorded statement is strongly ill-advised. The insurance company can and will use the information against you to their advantage so that they can find a way to lower any payouts that might come about. Several car accidents often lead to hiring an attorney as their last resort.
To protect your rights, it’s strongly recommended to have an attorney defending your interests. If the situation has progressed and the only option is to take it to court, your attorney will advise you on how to handle any recorded statements. Remember, instead of getting frustrated at the insurance company by trying to control everything alone, retaining the right attorney will mean less stress and headaches for the victims and their families. But that doesn’t mean you can sit back and wait for the check in the mail, you and your attorney will need to work together.
After an accident, there are a lot of issues and decisions you could potentially be facing such as filling out insurance forms, dealing with insurance adjusters, figuring out rides to and from any doctor’s visits or physical therapy, pain, and suffering, worrying about how to pay bills if you’re unable to work.
Don’t forget you could be entitled to receive money which will ease some of the burdens you’re carrying. You could be entitled to receive compensation for medical bills, future medical bills, lost wages if any, pain and suffering, and property damage.
Regardless of what problems you’re managing, in spite of everything take your case serious from the beginning. Never hesitate to question your insurance company about any details that pertain to your policy so that you’re prepared should anything arise. Car accidents hardly ever resolve themselves.
5. Compensation
After an accident claim has been filed with the insurance company, they will hire a forensic accountant. It’s an accountant who is getting paid by the insurance company to establish and calculate your loss of wages. Be skeptical of their figures. When the insurance adjuster investigates a claim, they are often equipped with apps anymore considering to our technology which will quickly transmit information back to the company. You would think that with all the technology these days that they could recreate the entire accident, so it’s never he said she said situation.
An accident can cause a significant amount of unexpected life changes which include but not limited to the loss of quality of life, lack of ability to keep your standard of living. Injuries from an accident could have a long-term effect on someone’s life. An attorney will explain in detail what choices you have and how they can defend your legal rights. Just because a police report states, one thing doesn’t necessarily mean it’s gospel, and often the report can disclose that a driver wasn’t to blame at all, which would help in proving that your potential client would be eligible for compensation. What it boils down to is that money will be tight after a severe accident. If you have to pawn some of your possessions to pay some bills, then don’t worry about it. Just look on the bright side at least you had the possessions to pawn. When all is said and done the compensation you receive will be able to purchase it all back hopefully. No amount of compensation will ever bring back your health.
