Car Accident Claims: What You Need to Know Before You Settle

It’s only natural to want to receive your compensation as soon as possible after you’ve been injured in a car crash. Lost wages, medical bills and property damage associated with the accident can add up and become overwhelming. At the same time, it can be tough to figure out how to handle the insurance companies involved.

To receive the compensation you’re entitled to after an auto accident, speak to a car crash law firm Kent. Your attorney can help fight for your rights so you can focus on your recovery.

Handling insurance companies

As you go through your claim, it’s important to remember that the at-fault driver’s insurance company does not want to pay you. They may tell you that you are not entitled to any money because the accident was all your fault or partly your fault. They can also say you did not provide enough documentation to support the claim or tell you to take them to court. However, keep in mind that the insurance company is aware that it’s less expensive to pay you than a team of lawyers, so there is an incentive for them to settle in many cases.

For your claim, you will need a lot of information, including:

• Names and information: Get the name and contact information of the other driver involved in the accident and any witnesses. You will also need the driver’s insurance company information and the names of the police officers who came to the scene.

• Police report: Make sure you call police at the accident scene to file a report. If you did not do so, go to your local police station and file one. When it’s ready, be sure to get an official copy.

• Photos: Take photos of the accident scene, the cars, the damage, and the general location, including environmental factors that may have contributed to the crash such as rain or a missing traffic sign.

What you can expect

There is no set formula for damages in an auto accident. Generally, the amount of damages you can ask the at-fault driver’s insurer to pay depends on what you have already spent or lost due to the accident and what you will continue to spend going forward because of the accident. Even if there were no injuries involved in your accident, you can still make a property damage claim. In this situation, your claim will request payment for damage to your personal property – such as a computer that was in the car at the time and harmed – along with damage to the car itself and other expenses incurred because of the accident, such as taking taxis while your car was being repaired.

If you or passengers in your car were injured in the accident, you could still claim those damages above and additional damages, such as your medical costs, wages lost from missed days of work, and suffering and pain from the accident injuries. You can also ask for payment of medical treatment you will need in the future for more serious injuries that have symptoms that could show up later.

Your claim could also ask for payment of future medical treatment for more severe injuries with symptoms that may not show up immediately after the accident.

Regardless of what your claim is for, you will need to gather and provide documentation of it to the insurer. This may include medical bills, estimates for repair of the damage to your car, an official statement from your employer regarding missed days of work, and documentation from your doctor.

Hiring the services of a car crash law firm Kent after an accident isn’t required, but if you proceed without one, you will have to negotiate the offer from the at-fault driver’s insurance company on your own. This sometimes results in victims accepting less money than they are entitled to, especially in cases involving serious injuries that will have consequences in the long term. The insurance company’s goal will be to settle with you quickly and for the lowest amount possible, which is why having an experienced auto attorney by your side can make a significant difference in the claim’s outcome.