In a car accident, if another party is at fault, their insurer may reimburse your medical and hospital costs, as well as the cost of drugs, prostheses, and other medical devices.
You may also be able to obtain reimbursement of your expenses with the help of other insurance, such as:
- Driver’s insurance that covers your injuries as a driver
- Hospitalization insurance (if you are hospitalized)
- A work accident insurance (for accidents at work while performing work-related duties)
- An assistance contract (if the accident takes place abroad)
Compensation for Damage to Your Car and Its Repair
If other parties are involved in the accident and you are entitled, the damage to your car may be compensated by the auto third-party insurance of another party.
In the event of an accident, it is best to call the assistance number on your insurance card. If your car is out of service, it will be towed to the garage, where it will be repaired—at least if the cost of the repair is not more than the value of your car.
But sometimes the insurer or the party responsible for the accident aren’t willing or able to cover all your expenses, even those as basic as your car repairs. When that’s the case, it’s time to reach out to a car accident lawyer for help filing an injury claim.
Insurance Deductibles After Your Car Accident
When you file a claim for compensation for loss or damage with your own insurance company, the sums paid by the company are reduced by the deductible, or the amount of the loss that you must pay yourself.
You should expect to pay the full deductible, unless you were not responsible for the accident or were only partially responsible.
For example: You are involved in an accident. The actual cash value of your vehicle is set at $12,000. Repairs to your vehicle would cost $7,000. Since the necessary repairs cost less than the actual cash value of the vehicle, your insurance company decides to have your vehicle repaired instead of declaring it a “total loss.”
If you have purchased coverage with a deductible of $500, your insurance company will pay $6,500 of the cost of repairs to your vehicle ($7,000 less the $500 deductible). You will therefore have to pay the deductible of $500.
However, if the other driver can be identified, is insured, and is declared responsible for the accident, their insurance company may cover the entire cost of repairs to your vehicle ($7,000).
Other Types of Compensation that Add to Your Claim’s Worth
When you file a personal injury claim with the help of a lawyer, you stand to be compensated for much more than your car repairs or medical expenses. These kinds of claims give you options for seeking compensation for things like time missed from work and related lost wages, pain and suffering, emotional trauma, caregiving assignments, and more.
All of these add up to mean more money in your pocket to help you recover after an accident caused by someone else’s negligence. A lawyer can help you look into your options and calculate the full potential value of your claim. Don’t just settle for what the insurance company tries to get by with paying you.
How Pre-Existing Conditions Can Affect Claim Value
A pre-existing injury or health condition does not automatically reduce the value of your car accident claim. If the crash made an old injury worse or caused new symptoms, you may still recover compensation for the added harm, including increased medical treatment, pain, and limitations on your daily life.
Insurance companies often try to blame your condition on your prior medical history, which is why clear medical records and evidence showing how your condition changed after the accident can make a major difference in what your claim is worth, and why a good plaintiffs’ lawyer is worth their weight in gold.
Get Help Getting Compensated After a Car Accident
The insurance claim process can entail all kinds of formalities: the modification or termination of a contract, the introduction of a license plate request, etc. You may sometimes wonder who to contact or if it is better to send an e-mail or registered letter. You may also suspect that the company is stonewalling you and not offering you a fair amount for your losses.
Get help from The Louthian Firm Accident & Injury Lawyers to make sure this doesn’t happen to you. Call us at 803-592-6231, or fill out the form below.
