What if something made your car accident even worse? If you don’t know how to claim compensation, this is exactly what can happen.
As a car accident victim, you have certain rights when it comes to monetary compensation. This whole process can be very confusing, which is why we put together this comprehensive guide for you to use!
Seek Medical Attention
Before anything else, make sure that you seek out any medical attention that is necessary. You don’t want to risk making your injury worse because you were filing paperwork!
After you get emergency medical attention, it is time to file an insurance claim.
File an Insurance Claim
It is important to be fast when you file your insurance claim. In most cases, you must file within twenty-four hours of the car accident.
While you must be quick about filing, the claim process itself will take some time because the insurance company must investigate your case. To speed things up, it’s important that you understand the two different kinds of insurance claims.
Two Different Kinds of Claims
There are two kinds of car accident injury claims you can file. These are first party claims and third party claims.
They have these names because the first party claim is one that you make with your own insurance company. Meanwhile, a third party claim is one you make with another insurance provider, such as the provider of the person who hit your car.
Generally speaking, you would file a third party claim if the other person was at fault. However, if you were the one who caused an accident, you would file a first party claim.
It’s important to understand which insurance company you will be filing the claim with because, as we said, you must typically file within twenty-four hours.
Documentation and Evidence
The insurance company will investigate your claim. Along the way, you may be asked to provide any possible evidence to back up your claim.
As proof of your personal injury suit, for instance, you will likely have to submit records of a medical examination. And if you have any photos of the accident or names of those who witnessed it, you may need to provide those to the insurance company.
If all goes well, you will receive a settlement check from the company that takes the value of the vehicle, your medical costs, and your pain and suffering into account. However, if the amount they offer is too low or your claim is denied outright, you may need to appeal.
Denials and Appeals
Unfortunately, there are many reasons why your claim may be denied. These range from filing too late to lack of evidence to your insurance company simply not covering what happened to you as a car accident victim.
If you are denied, you can follow the insurance company’s procedure to appeal the decision. And you may want to hire professional representation for your car accident injury claim.
Finding an Attorney for a Car Accident Victim
As a car accident victim, you know that laws and claims are difficult to understand. However, you may not know who to turn to for help.
That’s where we come in. At Kastl Law, we specialize in car accident claims and can get you the money you deserve. To see the difference we can make, contact us today for a free consultation!