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.
Part of our weekly series of case studies of recent car accident settlements. These case studies should help you determine the market value of your personal injury insurance claim. The finer details have been kept out to protect the identity of the individual, but the overall details are accurate and true.
Case Study
Gender: Female
Age: 20’s
Type of accident: Female was hit from behind at a stop light and pushed into the car in front of her
At-fault insurance company: Nationwide
Savvy Car Crash Assist readers may have seen commercials or websites giving away copies of The Seven Biggest Mistakes That Can Wreck Your [insert state name here] Accident Case, in exchange for your contact information. The booklet seems to have been ghostwritten by someone, then sold throughout the nation to various attorneys who claim authorship. In any case, it summarizes many of the things we teach in our Settlement Booklet. They are as follows: (more…)
When negotiating your personal injury claim with the insurance adjuster, it boils down to how much you value your personal injury claim vs. how much the insurance company values your injury claim. It’s really quite simply, you were injured and had your life adversely affected by the negligence of some other driver. You incurred medical expenses and other costs due to your injury (aka. special damages). On top of that, you were unable to perform some of your normal daily activities and may have missed out on what life had to offer you during those months you were injured (aka. general damages or pain and suffering). When you add the value of your special damages along with your general damages, you get the value of your personal injury claim.
Since you pay for car insurance, you’ll be taken care of in the event of an auto injury, right? Not entirely. Since car insurance companies are for profit corporations, they pinch and squeeze where they can to maximize their income, even at the expense of your health. But you can stay a step ahead of them and maximize your injury claim by avoiding the following: (more…)
This question is raised all the time. People want to know what they can expect to get from their accident settlement. Though there are definite patterns and averages for settlements, there are many variables within those patterns that will determine the value of your specific claim. Here are a list of things that can have an influence on the value of your specific claim:
1. What adjuster do you have working on your claim? Every adjuster evaluates claims slightly different. You may get an adjuster that is extremely tight with their evaluation or you might get an adjuster that is a little loose with their evaluation. Every person will see your claim slightly differently.
2. What kind of treatment did you receive for your injuries? Different forms of therapy are worth different amounts to insurance companies. Picking the right type of therapy will increase your chances of getting a little bit more in your settlement.
This happens all the time, someone gets their old car that was completely paid for totaled out and they immediately go purchase a brand new car. Along with that new car comes a brand new car payment. Some people want to know if the new car payment can be added as pain and suffering. They say things like, “If it weren’t for the car accident, I wouldn’t have had to buy a new car and take on a new car payment. That new payment has put added stress on my life and therefore, I should get more money for pain and suffering.”
That statement is probably true. The problem with the logic behind the statement is you made the choice to take on the new car payment all on your own. You see, when you have your car totaled out in the accident, the insurance company has a responsibility to replace your car with the exact same car. They should pay you an amount that will get you into the exact same car. Nothing newer. Nothing nicer.
DISCLAIMER: The information contained on this website is intended for general use and should not be considered legal advice. Discretion is advised.
