If you have suffered an injury in an automobile accident due to someone else's negligence, the first thing you should do is file an insurance claim with the driver's automobile insurance. To receive payment for your damages, you have to follow a certain process. Here are some things you can expect as you file your auto insurance claim:
Determine Who Is Liable
The first thing to do in an auto accident insurance claim is to determine who caused the accident. In many cases, the only person liable for the accident is the other driver. However, you may also be partially at fault. If this is the case, you will have to pay for your part of your damages. For example, if you were stopped at a light and it turned green while you were looking down at your phone, you would be responsible for part of your damages if you are hit by another driver from behind. The driver behind you may think you were about to move and therefore failed to slow their speed. While the other driver should not have made that assumption, you should also not have been distracted while at a traffic light.
In this situation, the insurance company will divide the fault between any party who is to blame. In turn, you will then pay for a percentage of your own damages due to your liability in the accident.
Go Through the Adjustment Process
An adjuster will pay you a visit to investigate the accident. An adjuster is a representative from an insurance company and is there to evaluate your damages. He or she will want to see the physical damage to your vehicle and other personal property if applicable. The adjuster will also want to evaluate your medical records. The adjuster will call you to make an appointment and tell you the information you should have on hand.
Receive Your Compensation
Once the adjuster has thoroughly investigated the accident and the liability for the car accident is settled, you will then receive your payment if the insurer determines the other driver caused your damages. Your expenses after an accident can be high and can include the damage to your vehicle, your medical expenses, and any other physical damage caused by the accident. If you had to miss time at work due to the accident, you may also be able to recover your lost wages as well.
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