When you purchase your auto insurance policy, you mostly did it because you were required to in order to drive your vehicle. But also to protect yourself from financial ruin in case of an accident.
Many are surprised to learn when dealing with the insurance company it’s no walk in the park to receive compensation. Here are the top three things you need to know about dealing with the insurance company and your car accident claim:
When you are injured in an accident in Georgia, you’ll be filing your claim with the liable party’s insurance company. Georgia is a fault state for car accidents and insurance, so you’ll need to obtain the liable party’s insurance information and get your claim filed to start the negotiation process.
We wish we could tell you the insurance company sympathizes with you and wants to help you get through this difficult time in your life.
But the insurance company is a for-profit business. They rake in money from paid insurance premiums and lose money when they pay out on insurance claims. This means they’ll be looking for any opportunity they can find to get away with reducing the amount of your injury settlement.
There are a few different ways insurers go about accomplishing this goal. But two of the most common include manipulating the statements given to them by well-intending claimants and making injury victims a settlement offer for considerably less than their claim is worth.
You could protect yourself from being taken advantage of in this way by enlisting the services of a car accident lawyer to handle the negotiations process on your behalf.
The insurance company isn’t going to be able to compensate you for every single way your life has been impacted by the accident and your injuries. The insurance company only needs to cover medical expenses and property damage in most cases.
They are also only required to compensate you up to the highest limit of the insured’s policy. So let’s say the liable driver only carries $50,000 in bodily injury liability coverage, and your medical expenses are totaling $250,000. The insurance company is only required to pay out a maximum of $50,000.
All remaining financial losses, and the other ways your life has been adversely affected by your accident, will need to be sought after in a civil claim against the at-fault party.
Dealing with the insurance company after a car accident can be like adding insult to injury. Don’t go into your insurance claim negotiations on your own. An experienced car accident lawyer in Atlanta could help you protect your injury settlement.
Schedule a free, no-obligation case evaluation at Monge & Associates when you call our office at 678-382-6043 or visit our website where you can complete our quick contact form.
