Figuring out how to proceed in the weeks following a car accident may have you at a loss. Your instinct might be to try to address the situation as rapidly as possible, but it may be wiser to take a little time to see how the situation unfolds. For example, pursuing a claim or signing off on a payout before you know the full extent of your injuries could leave you in a bad spot if something undiscovered doesn't hit you until several months later. Take these tips under advisement before you get very far into pursuing a claim.
Understand the Rules for Your Accident
Folks tend to be surprised by how much variation there can be in the rules that apply to incidents. For example, 12 U.S. states and the District of Columbia are no-fault states. This means that drivers with no-fault policies are obligated to cooperate with how their insurance companies elect to pursue their claims. In return, they also can collect on medical bills through their insurer rather than through the other driver's insurance. On the downside, they may not be able to pursue damages for pain and suffering, or they may have to directly sue the other driver to get it. On the upside, they are free to seek all the property damages they can justify.
If you're in a situation where you disagree with the insurance companies handling your case, it may be worth your time to seek a consultation with a car accident lawyer. You can lay out the details of your case and learn what your rights are. They can explain to you, for example, how many months you have to file your claim. You also can learn how to deal with highly specific situations, such as accidents involving government vehicles.
Moving Ahead with a Claim
When you are ready to get started with the actual claim, your car accident attorney will send paperwork to the insurance companies informing them of your intent. They will then have an opportunity, usually about 20 to 60 days, depending on the state, to review the case and decide whether it's valid.
The responsible party's insurer will appoint an adjuster who'll propose a figure to your attorney. You'll then have to decide whether to accept or negotiate. If negotiations fail to achieve a satisfactory outcome, you may then consider whether to move forward with a full-on lawsuit.
Share21 December 2018
After I was in a car accident, I wasn't sure what I was going to do in the future. I had some really significant back and neck pain, so I started talking with a lawyer about how to recover some of my losses. I began working with an attorney to take care of things, but I was nervous about how the process would unfold. I began working with the attorney to evaluate every component of the incident, and help me to decode the problems I was faced with. We worked on learning more about the lawsuit, and it helped me to make sense of the situation. Learn more about accidents on this blog.