After a car accident, naturally, you need the insurance company to pay you so that you are not stuck with medical bills. There are several things you can do to increase the chances that the insurance company pays you.
You need to know how to get paid the rightful amount, such as hundreds and even thousands of dollars for your claim. You should also know how to effectively deal with the car insurance company with the help of a lawyer.
The Number One Mistake to Avoid
Mostly, when people get into a car accident, their primary focus becomes the car where they just want to get their car fixed – even though they were injured. Understandably, most people need their car to get to work, and the accident isn’t even their fault, as they were essentially following the rules when another car hit their vehicle.
In such a case scenario, most car owners file a claim with the other driver’s insurance company and wait. Now, the mistake that you want to avoid at all costs is the mistake of not getting medical attention. Get medical attention at all costs and contact a lawyer to help you deal with the insurance company.
Do Not Accept the Initial Offer
What typically happens when you take up the matter with the at-fault driver’s insurance company is that you file a complaint and then you keep waiting. You keep waiting for insurance pay, which feels like waiting for rain in a desert. You remain hopeful but only to be disappointed.
Finally, when you do receive an email from the at-fault driver’s insurance agents, you expect a fair deal, but this isn’t what happens. The offer that you might get is way less than what you expect – especially considering the probability that there is still a hefty amount of pay on your car loan.
Do Not Accept the Long Wait
Sometimes, the other driver’s insurance company will take their sweet time, which can be as long as two months, to investigate the claim and make their initial offer to you. Yes, you read this right. This can even happen when the other driver admits fault right after crashing your car.
Some insurance companies even send out letters saying that they might take a long to investigate the crash and make an offer. The more time the insurance company takes, the more frustrated you will be, as you can already imagine the bills piling up and you being without a car to get to work.
Do Not Fall for the Friendliness of Insurance Agents
Most people believe in the professional friendliness of insurance adjusters, and they believe that if the insurance agent is friendly, then they will get a good deal. You need to understand that insurance adjusters are trained to be pleasant – it doesn’t mean that they are your friend or on your side.
Do Not Expect the Insurance Company to Pay You Fairly
You should not expect the insurance company to give you what your car is worth. The truth is that the insurance company will often give you what they think they can get away with, which is why you need to hire a lawyer who can help you get fair compensation for the damage.
If you are in Nevada, you might want to opt for Nevada car accident compensation and get a lawyer by your side to successfully negotiate with the at-fault driver’s insurance company and help you throughout the process.
Do Not Believe Your Insurance Rate Won’t Go Up
Some drivers who have been in an accident make the mistake of believing that because they haven’t been at fault, their insurance rate won’t go up. This aspect isn’t always true. The thing is that sometimes insurance rates can go up for reasons that are beyond your control.
For instance, you can expect your insurance rate to go up if your driving record has traffic violations or accidents, as your insurance providers will start perceiving you as high-risk and increase the insurance risk to decrease the associated risk.
Pro Tip: Make A Claim with Your Own Car Insurance
Here is what happens: if you make a claim with your own car insurance company, then you have two competing offers to choose from. You already know that interest rates are high these days, and most people take out loans to buy cars, which is why you need to consider all the options you have.
When calculating its replacement value, insurance companies don’t have to consider your car loan. However, if you make a claim with your own car insurance, too, you have two offers to work with.
Why Do People Not Make A Claim with Their Own Insurance Company?
Most people are afraid of making a claim with their own insurance company. They might do so because they believe that the other driver’s car insurance company is going to do the right thing. This aspect is especially true if you file a claim and talk to a “friendly” insurance adjuster from the other driver’s insurance company.
At the time of speaking to the insurance adjuster, you receive a claim number, and you believe that getting a claim number means that you are going to get paid.
Now, the claim number might get the ball rolling – it never guarantees payment. The claim number only indicates that the other side will start to investigate the claim. However, the other insurance company can still deny coverage or even liability – and if they do either of these, you are essentially waiting for nothing.
Final Thoughts
Now, if you have been in an accident where your car got damaged and you got injured, you must seek medical help as a priority. You never know how serious your injuries are initially, which is why getting the doctor’s advice and checkup is mandatory. Keep track of your medical bills and get in touch with a lawyer who specializes in car accidents and personal injury. This way, you will have a professional attorney by your side who will help protect your rights and get you what is rightfully yours.
