Before you choose your insurance company, there are a couple of things that you should consider. The reputation of the auto insurance company, and the customer satisfaction rating they have.
You make the mistake to use the cheapest auto insurance company that you can find. However, the moment that you are in a car accident and claim for injuries or for car damage, you may find out that cheaper is not always better. After a car accident, the last thing that you want is to struggle with the auto insurance company as well.
Table of contents
Things you can do
- Research
- Know your limits (bodily injury, and property damage)
- Complaints with insurance commissioner
Do research about all the different available insurance companies. This includes PIP/ Med Pay insurance as well. Make sure that you are using one of the best insurance companies with a good reputation. and also, one you can afford. Insurance is not inexpensive, it cost a lot. So do your research to make sure you find the best company for your needs and the needs of your family.
Claims approval
There are many reasons why you may be struggling to get a claim approved. This includes PIP claims, bodily injury and car damage claims. They might not do the process correctly, and they are then struggling to get the claim approved. For injuries, they might not have seen the right doctor or waited too long before they were going to the doctor.
Insurance companies don’t like to pay out claims after a car accident, they are in the business of making money. And, this is why you should make sure that you are doing everything according to the book, so that they can’t decline your claim. This is especially important when it comes to bodily injury claims.
Cheaper insurance companies
In some cases when you have cheap auto insurance, they may not fix your car the way you want it fixed. They may write an estimate for aftermarket or used parts. You may want them to paint the whole car, this will never happen with any auto insurance company. If you have Med pay, they may fight you on the benefits. They may point to the fine print in the policy. Its important to read your policy, if you are like me, you just chunk it in trash without reading it. However, its always good to see exactly what your insurance company will pay for, and what it will not pay for.
Claiming for injuries and car damage after a car accident
We hope that we will never have the need to claim for bodily injury. However, this isn’t always possible. And, when it happens you need to make sure that you know everything there is to know about bodily injury, med pay, and pip. This is the only way that you can be sure that your claim is going to be approved without any hassles or serious problems. The more you know about your policy, the better off you will be, don’t be ignorant.
Hiring the right attorney might be helpful
Something that you should consider, is to hire an accident or personal injury attorney. They will be helpful and assist you with your personal injury claim.
Make sure that you hire the right type of attorney as well. You don’t want to end up with an attorney that doesn’t know the process of claiming for vehicle damage or injuries after a car accident. Most Attorneys handle many different types of cases. However, you may want to research the attorney to see how they handle personal injury claims.
What you may not know is there are two claims
Property Damage Claim
Property damage claim is the damage done to your property, car, etc. Most attorneys do not assist with property damage or they may charge a fee to help resolve the property damage. There are a few personal injury attorneys that will assist with the property damage for free. These attorneys recognize the need to help people resolve these property damage claims. You are hiring a personal injury attorney for your personal injury, not your property damage.
Claiming for injuries. Personal injury Claim
There are a couple of things that you need to know about claiming for injuries that you sustained during a car accident. If you know that you are going to claim for any injuries, you need to see an accident doctor as soon as possible. You should also make sure that you are going to all your appointments and that you are doing everything the doctor is telling you. Every mistake that you are making can count against you when the insurance company is investigating your claim.
You may need to consult with a personal injury attorney if you plan on filing a bodily injury claim against the insurance company. The bodily injury side of insurance is nothing like the property damage side of the claim. An attorney can help.
Diminished Value
It’s hard to explain what diminished value is. It’s the difference if i want to buy your car but find out its been involved in a car accident. The car down the street for the same price looks way more attractive at that point than yours, because yours was involved in a car accident. There is a formula for this, its a certain percentage of the damage caused to the vehicle. It only applies to vehicles that are fixed in a car crash, not vehicles that are totaled.
An attorney can explain what diminished value is and how he can help you get compensation for demised value. Make sure the attorney is up front about the cost involved. Some attorney’s do this for free if you have a personal injury claim with them.
The sooner you are making an insurance claim, the better
There isn’t really a timeline for which you should start an insurance claim. However, the sooner you are filing a claim, the better chance of a positive outcome there will be. It is also important to phone the insurance company immediately after an accident and let them know about the accident and the possible injuries that you or passengers might have.
It is also important to make sure that you have the case number of the police report at hand when you are claiming for injuries or vehicle damage after the accident. the last thing your insurance company wants to hear is that you had an accident and it was two weeks ago, this make you look really bad. It looks deceptive to the insurance company if you are making a claim days or even weeks after an accident. Make sure you call right away.
Honesty is the best policy
Don’t lie to the insurance company. Making your injuries look more serious than what it actually is. Or, trying to get more compensation for the damage on your vehicle than what there is. The moment you lie to an insurance company, everything you say will be in question. Lying may result in a claim being rejected immediately.
Devil’s Advocate
Honesty is the best policy if you are dealing with your insurance company. Some attorneys will tell you to never give a statement to either. However, you pay your insurance company to protect you. If it’s your insurance company, i see no reason why you should not speak with them about your auto accident, you can always fire them. On the other hand if you were in a car accident that was not your fault, you may not should speak the at fault party’s insurance company unless:
- You have no bodily injury
- You do not plan on making a bodily injury claim
- Your attorney tells you its ok
Even speaking with them about property damage can be troublesome. They may go by the accident report, but many auto insurance companies go by what there policyholder tells them happened. If they are lying, it could be a big problem for you, they may deny you claim just based on their policyholders statements.
Why you need Car insurance
If you live in a state where car insurance are not mandatory, you might be tempted to skip getting insurance. However, before making this decision, there are several important factors to consider:
Financial Liability
Without insurance, you are fully responsible for any damages to your vehicle, even if the accident was not your fault. If you are at fault in an accident, you will need to cover the repair costs for all vehicles involved and any medical expenses for injuries sustained, all out of pocket.
Accident Costs
Car accidents can be expensive. Repairing your vehicle and covering medical bills can quickly add up, putting a significant financial strain on you. Insurance provides a safety net that can help cover these unexpected costs.
Peace of Mind
Having insurance means you don’t have to worry about the financial implications of an accident. Instead, you can focus on recovery and finding a new vehicle, knowing that your insurance company will handle the claims process.
Claims Process
While dealing with insurance companies can sometimes be frustrating, having coverage ensures that your claims for vehicle damage and personal injuries are processed and approved. This support can make a challenging situation more manageable.
Skipping car insurance might save you money in the short term, but the potential financial risks and stress in the event of an accident make it a risky choice. Consider the protection and peace of mind that insurance offers before deciding to go without it.
Cheaper is not always better, however, having auto insurance is better than not having anything at all.