When you are hurt in an automobile accident caused by another driver's negligence, you have the right to file a personal injury claim to recover damages. This compensation can be used to pay for medical bills, the money you were unable to earn while recovering, and for pain and suffering. What is the procedure for settling an automobile accident?
This process entails more than just filing a claim with the irresponsible driver's motor insurance company and receiving a cheque to compensate you for your losses. It can – and frequently does – entail a thorough investigation of your accident as well as negotiations between their insurance company and your lawyer.
If you are unable to obtain a vehicle accident insurance settlement through negotiation, you may be forced to file a lawsuit and appear in court.
Your claim may be handled quickly, or it may become a prolonged, drawn-out procedure requiring significant court intervention. Working with experienced Tom Fowler Law Des Moines car accident attorneys can increase your chances of receiving a good settlement for you and your family.
Settlement Process
It should become clear why you acquired all of that information in the minutes and days following your crash once you tell the other driver's insurer of your claim. Your lawyer should write the company a letter explaining your injuries and property damage, as well as a total of your financial damages for medical expenditures, any out-of-pocket expenses you may have had as a result of this incident, vehicle repair costs, and lost income from missed work.
The other driver may be uninsured or underinsured. They may have given you outdated or incorrect insurance information. More than likely, they have insurance limitations that are insufficient to cover your damages, whether medical or property. In either situation, you must file a claim against your uninsured/underinsured policy with your own insurance. It's as easy as contacting your own insurance carrier and filing a claim.
Adjusters, on the other hand, make adjustments. All of the issues you had with the other driver's claims adjuster may apply to your conversations with your own insurer. Fortunately, just as they can with somebody else's insurance company, an attorney can help you deal with your own.
The claims adjuster for the other driver's insurer responds after your attorney submits your claim letter, providing the claims adjuster didn't send you the company's appraisal of your claim before you sent your letter. It's possible that the insurance may make a modest settlement offer. If that case, things might start to become interesting. The insurer may, at the absolute least, write you a reservation of rights letter. This letter recognizes that they have received your claim and are willing to talk to you about it, but it does not confirm your claim to be valid.
Insurance firms profit from their investments. The majority of them lose money on their underwriting business, which involves paying out claims to or on behalf of the drivers they insure. That isn't to say they don't try to keep compensation to a minimum. They are very likely to make a low original offer, and they may hesitate to bend far away from that original offer to make a settlement that pleases you.
Low-value claims are more likely to settle quickly and easily, but if you have been injured, especially serious or long-term injuries, the adjuster is more likely to refuse to pay you what you believe is fair. It's not about you; it's mainly about the business. Nonetheless, if the insurance company refuses to make what you believe a reasonable offer, your lawyer may launch a lawsuit on your behalf. This does not necessarily imply that your case should proceed to trial. While a case is outstanding, settlement offers are common, and personal injury cases have been settled on the court's grounds in the past.
A Tom Fowler Law Attorney Can Help You Instantly
Claims involving automobile accidents can quickly become complicated. Work with an expert Iowa car accident expert for legal direction and assistance through each phase of your claim's settlement. A skilled lawyer at Tom Fowler Law can explain the procedure to you in simple English and assist you in pursuing the compensation that you deserve.