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Car accidents can be horrible events. People are injured, sometimes killed. Damage
costs to cars are high. Insurance rates rise.
If you are injured in a car accident, in many instances you will be entitled to a money
award to compensate you for your injuries, time off work and other losses. How are you
paid this money? Who determines how much?
When you have been in a car accident, you should contact your insurance company immediately.
Usually, a short time later, someone from the company will contact you.
If you were clearly at fault, you will only be dealing with, in most cases, your own
insurance company. If another driver was clearly at fault, generally speaking, you will
also be contacted by someone from his insurance company, usually an adjuster. The job
of the insurance adjuster is to settle your claim on behalf of the company.
The adjuster will be acting in the company’s interests and is not likely to offer
you any more money than he feels is necessary to convince you to discontinue your claim.
The best thing to do when you have been in a car accident is to talk to a lawyer experienced
in the handling of accidental injury cases. Adjusters may make you an offer and tell
you it is fair and that a lawyer is not needed. Or they might warn you that getting a
lawyer involved will mean a long court proceeding. It’s not necessarily so. Talking
to a lawyer ensures you get a fair deal from the insurance company.
Even if you think the insurance company’s offer is fair, arranging a meeting with
a lawyer is not a bad idea. Many lawyers do not charge for your first visit to their
offices.
It’s still best not to wait until the deal is signed until you see a lawyer. It
makes it much more difficult to get the money to which you are rightfully entitled. So
see a lawyer before you sign anything. Better yet, drive safely and do your best to stay
out of car accidents in the first place.
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