How to solve a motor vehicle accident claim
Imagine this scenario: You are in a car accident that is not your fault, and you and your car are suffering considerable damage. As a SmartDriver, you know your rights and once you have an accident, collect the other driver's insurance information and then file a claim for personal injury and damage to the other party. If you receive a letter offering a billing amount, should you accept it and continue?
Sometimes it can be difficult to know what the right answer is. Often, an insurance company will offer you an amount that feels unjustifiably low, but you may not know the best way to solve the problem. Negotiating with the adjuster is never fun, but it helps to be informed about the process.
Step 1: Document, Document, Document
At the beginning of this process, it is an essential document, document and document: be sure to provide a police report at the time of the accident, go to the doctor to document your injuries and take a photo of the damage to your vehicle. Any documentation you can obtain is proof that you can justify that the amount you have raised is fair and equitable. And of course it is imperative that you receive the insurance information of the other driver; Otherwise, you can not submit the application first.
Step 2: Inform and start the claim
Once you have started a complaint with the wrong driver insurance company, the process has started. If the other driver is uninsured or not insured enough and insured for this scenario, you can even file a claim with your own insurance company.
Step 3: Open your e-mail
When you submit your claim, the insurance company will send you a letter confirming that you have received your claim and will soon begin the discussion process with you. In this letter, referred to as "retention of title," you can see that the claim has been received without accepting the truth of the claim itself. At this point, it may be advisable to consult a lawyer about the next steps.
Step 4: Take a deep breath
Regardless of the accuracy with which the evidence is documented and that it is correct in your claim, the insurance company will try to defend itself by paying the amount due in your case. Like all companies, insurance companies try to make money and pay expensive debts is not a good way to do that. Of course this is nothing personal: Especially if everything is done right, the negotiation can be a frustrating process, but only then can a claim be resolved by a traffic accident. They will try to confirm that the accident is partly or completely to blame or that he has not provided sufficient evidence; Do not let that stop you.
Stay true to your story and do your best.
Step 5: Start of the negotiation
If you have suffered personal injury or damage to your property, you must send a claim letter describing your medical bills, expenses and lost income as a result of the accident. The insurance company adviser will respond to your review with one of them who will always offer you an amount lower than you think you should, but that is part of the process and should not be taken as personal. At this point you can accept the offer of the insurance company or continue to negotiate.
If you and the insurance company fail to reach an agreement, you may need to take legal action, but we hope that does not happen.
Always remember that this process requires patience and self-confidence. Submitting a claim is a tedious task, and achieving a successful solution is really a problem. In the end, it pays to fight for the money you owe, but that does not mean it's fun. Arming with the right information and documentation is half the battle, but the other half is pure, which is more than capable of delivering.