First thing first! If you are injured after a car accident, rush to a hospital for immediate treatment. As soon as you are on your way to recovery, contact a car accident lawyer to file a claim for your injury and vehicle damage. This article will offer the best strategy and tips to help you settle your car accident claim.
Even if it is other driver’s fault, you should not directly approach the person for claim settlement. In fact, the standard procedure requires you to approach the driver’s insurer for compensation. However, you are entitled to compensation only if you present enough evidences in support of your claim; otherwise it will receive outright refusal from the insurance company.
Followings are some important information you should gather before proceeding with your claim:
- The driver’s name
- The driver’s insurance company
- Any witness to the car accident
- Any law enforcement officer visiting the site after the accident
You should take snapshots of the accident site as well as your damaged vehicle. These days, many people carry smartphones with powerful camera facilities and therefore, it’s now lot easier to take photos. Take photos of the followings:
- The license plates of each vehicle
- The locations of the vehicles
- The damaged parts of the vehicles
Understanding How Insurance Companies Play Tricks
You should understand that the insurance company will require a great deal of information before agreeing to pay your compensation claim. Another important point to keep in mind is the insurance company is NEVER on your side. They are just doing business with an eye on optimizing their profit. Therefore, it should sprout no wonder that they always want to settle for a sum as little as possible or refute the claim completely.
The insurance company achieves their goals by frothing out two popular arguments –
- You were partially or totally responsible for the accident and so, are not entitled to a heavy amount of compensation
- You have failed to submit all the necessary documents to back your claim for damages and loss.
Sometimes, they use both the arguments and other times, either of these to convince you to agree to their offer.
Information and Documentation – Key to Right Compensation
The process is time-taking and frustrating. However, the more information and documentation you manage to submit, the lesser is the chance that you will receive a paltry sum as compensation from the driver’s insurance company. Keep in mind that the insurance company is not in hurry for a settlement agreement with the claimant. In fact, with lots of arguments and negotiations going behind the scenario, a certain time might come when they will give you the ultimatum by saying ‘This is the BEST offer from our end”.
You have two options available – either accept the offer or approach a lawyer at Khan Law Firm. If you think that the insurance company’s offer is ocean beneath your claim for injury and damages, talk to a lawyer to learn what could be your next steps for a fair amount of compensation.
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