“The person that hit me didn’t even care if I was alright.”
This happens to be one of the biggest complaints from people hurt in an auto accident. This also seems to be one of the deciding factors on whether or not the injured person ends up filing a lawsuit against the at-fault party. So if you find yourself being at-fault for an accident, showing a little concern will go a long way.
Later that night or the following day, call your insurance company and set up a claim. After you have done that, look at the driver exchange form and call the person that you hit. Tell them you feel terrible for the accident and you hope they are okay. Let them know that you already set up a claim with your insurance company and give them the claim number. Tell them how sorry you are for any inconvenience you may have caused. Doing this will help your chances of not getting sued. Not doing this or being aggressive towards the injured person, regardless if you think you are at-fault or not, is a sure fire way of getting yourself served with a lawsuit.
Remember, you don’t have to admit fault, just show a little compassion and it will go along way in whether or not you end up getting served with a lawsuit.
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If your car is totaled out and you owe more than the insurance company is willing to pay you for it, who is stuck with owing the difference on your loan? The short answer is you are stuck owing the difference, but the long answer is even more frustrating.
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READ MORE: fixing your car, property damage
“Before you talk to the at-fault insurance company and their adjuster, talk to your insurance provider first. They may have valuable advice for you, and they are there to defend you in the accident and provide you with resources you may not know you have. For example, you may have collision coverage that can expedite the repair of your car. You might have to cover the deductible for this coverage, but you will get reimbursed if you are cleared from blame. Your insurance provider will then go after the at- fault provider for reimbursement so you do not have to.”
Want to read more? See our complete Personal Injury Settlement Booklet.
READ MORE: insurance companies, negotiation tips
We talk a lot about personal injury claims here. But what exactly are they?
Put simply, a personal injury claim or case refers to someone who has been injured in an automobile accident and is seeking recovery money from the responsible party, almost always the underwriting insurance company of the at-fault driver.
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READ MORE: insurance companies, lawyers
25/50. 100/300. Liability. UM/UIM. What does it all mean?
When you purchase an insurance policy, it will have limits to the amount that can be claimed against it for any given accident. Understanding you policy limits will help you to make a wise decision on how to fully protect yourself in case you are involved in an accident.
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This is part of our continued coverage on my wife’s injury claim with Progressive
After completing her therapy with a local chiropractor, we gathered all of the medical bills and records from the hospital and the chiropractor. The total amount of the medical bills was just over $3,800. I put all of the bills and records in chronological order and put a soft demand letter together and faxed it all over to the adjuster.
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Tags: wife's claim
READ MORE: demand package, features, how much is my personal injury car accident settlement worth?, negotiation tips, pain and suffering, recent personal injury settlements
If there is one thing I hate more than snow, it’s driving in snow. With winter in full force and many more days of driving in snowing conditions, I thought it would be a nice little reminder to share some winter driving tips.
It just so happens that I found this article that sums up winter driving quite nicely. From the article:
If you do not have to drive in a snowstorm, then don’t. Stay home or take public transportation. Winter driving conditions can be very dangerous and unpredictable.
One other piece of advice, if you see an accident on a busy road or highway and conditions are still slippery, wait for the police or ambulance to give assistance. A woman was killed in Salt Lake City when she got out of her car to assist another injured person when a truck lost control on the slippery roads and slammed into her. Be careful out there.
READ MORE: before an accident happens, features
The verdict is in. I think I’m a little shocked, but the numbers don’t lie. Although I always knew that males caused more severe accidents, I always thought women were involved in a higher amount of accidents. My ego is officially shot and you women win once again. Good on ya for safer driving women and men, lets take this as an opportunity to sharpen our driving skills.
READ MORE: car crash myths, features
December can often be one of the best months to try and get your personal injury case resolved. Adjusters are trying to get claims off their desk and insurance companies are trying to clear their books. This can create a good opportunity for you to try and squeeze out a few extra shekels from the adjuster. However, adjusters know that people are looking for a little extra Christmas money as well and if you don’t play your cards right, you may get the shaft.
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If you have the choice between settling out of court or proceeding with a lawsuit, lean towards settling out of court. When you file a lawsuit, you lose all control of your case and you leave the outcome to a panel of individuals that make up the jury. Most people on a jury don’t want to be on jury duty and don’t know you from a hole in the wall. On top of that, the insurance companies have done a killer job painting personal injury claims as fake and fraudulent amoungst the general public. You and your attorney will have to try and convince an already biased jury panel that your injuries are real and serious.
In addition to facing a jury, you will have added costs and expenses just by filing a lawsuit. Most attorneys increase their fees if you want to file a lawsuit, so be sure to find out what the fine print says in your attorney retainer about filing a lawsuit. These added costs come directly out of your settlement and often times are not reimbursable. This can be a huge gamble for you especially if you have a borderline offer already on the table.
Once you file a lawsuit, all offers are taken off the table and the end result can be better or it can be worse. If you end up with a worse offer than what was originally presented to you from the insurance company prior to the jury verdict, too bad so sad. You are stuck with the jury verdict and potential costs of filing the lawsuit. So unless you are 100% certain that you will get a better award from a jury, think twice about filing that lawsuit.
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