Should I Notify My Insurance Company Of The Accident?
Yes. Regardless of fault, it is important to call your insurance company and report any accident that involved injuries or property damage.
A common myth is that you do not need to contact your insurance company if you were not at fault. This is false, because there are several coverages on your insurance policy that you may want to use. In order to use any of these, you are required to notify your insurance company.
However, although you should promptly notify your carrier of the accident, you should be careful what you say when you call. Tell them that you were involved in an accident and give them general background information, including the date, time, location of the accident, and names and addresses of all parties involved. But it is best not to discuss the issue of fault until you have consulted with an attorney. Politely decline to give a recorded statement until you feel better.
In sum, it is important to report any accident to your insurance company promptly in order to avoid giving your insurance company a basis for denying coverage that may otherwise be available to you, but it is equally important not to discuss the issue of fault with anyone until after you have sought the advice of an attorney.
Why Is It Important To Follow Doctor’s Orders In An Auto Accident Claim?
It is important to follow all recommended doctor’s treatments and not miss doctor’s appointment in order to help us get you the most compensation for your case. While hospital visits can be expensive, not seeking treatment right away tells insurance that you weren’t hurt that badly. Don’t delay. Go to the emergency room or make a doctor’s appointment right away. After that, do not miss any follow-up doctor’s appointments or physical therapy sessions, or the insurance will use that to say your injury wasn’t that severe. Taking your injury seriously is key to getting a fair personal injury award.
Why Does Someone Need An Attorney To Handle An Auto Accident Claim?
If someone injured you through their negligence in driving a vehicle, then you have rights under the law. You want to make sure to protect those rights after a car accident so you don’t end up paying- financially and personally- for someone else’s careless driving behavior. In some cases, you made need to sue after a car accident. Here are the top ten reasons to hire Sahn Law Firm – Attorneys at Law to represent you in your car wreck case.
- You have only a limited time to sue: In South Carolina, the statute of limitations for filing a car accident claim is between two and three years. If you don’t sue within that time, you give up your right to sue forever.
- You may need to comply with certain rules in order to sue: You may need to file a police report or file notice within a given period of time. An attorney who is experienced in handling car accident injuries in your area will be familiar with the laws and can help you make sure you don’t do anything that jeopardizes your right to sue the party responsible for your injury.
- Your insurance company may have a different agenda: Most insurance companies aim to protect their insureds and to compensate them for damages. However, insurance companies also aim to keep costs down and reduce their overhead. Since your agenda and your insurance companies agenda may not perfectly align, hiring an attorney can be the best way to insure you have an advocate for your interests.
- You may not fully understand all of your potential damages: There are a slew of potential damages available to people who are injured in a car accident. In addition to medical bills, you may be able to recover for lost wages, pain and suffering and emotional distress. Your family members may even be able to recover for the loss of your companionship if you have become incapacitated. If you don’t hire an attorney, you may not be aware of all of your potential legal rights to recovery.
- Proving liability can be complex: Even with witnesses and a police report saying the other party is at fault, proving that he was so negligent that he breached a duty of care to you can be difficult. Since there are many elements that go into winning a personal injury lawsuit, you will need to hire an attorney who understands the law and who can provide references to cases, citations and other sources of law that support your position.
- The laws differ from state to state: Auto insurance and auto accident rules are decided by each individual jurisdiction. For example, there are 12 “no fault” states in the US in which you cannot sue after a car accident except in special circumstances. Likewise, in some states, you can sue even if you were partially at fault for the accident (called comparative negligence states) while in others, if you contributed to causing the accident you can’t sue (called contributory negligence.) An attorney in your area can help explain all the nuances of the law within your jurisdiction to you, so you will fully understand all of your legal rights.
- You need to understand settlement options: Most cases settle out of court, which means the defendant or his insurance company is likely to make you an offer. Your attorney can help you understand the implications of accepting this offer, since once you accept, you give up your right to sue forever. Your attorney can also help you to evaluate whether settling is the best option in your case or not.
- Filing a lawsuit requires adhering to complex rules: If you decide to sue, you will have to file the appropriate papers in Court to begin the lawsuit. This is not as simple as going to the court house and announcing your intent to sue. A number of complex rules exist. You will need a lawyer to guide you through the complicated process of filing suit.
- Proving your case can be even more complex: Just as filing your case is complex, proving your case is even more so. You may be permitted to “discover’ certain information from the other side, and you may be limited in the types of witnesses and evidence you present. There are even restrictions on the kind of questions and phrasing of questions you ask in court. Furthermore, extensive legal research often needs to be done to convince the court or jury to side with you. As such, it is very difficult to prove personal injury liability on your own.
- If you don’t hire an attorney, you could be faced with financial loss: If you don’t sue in time, if you don’t sue for the right damages or sue the right defendants, and if you lose your case as a result of improperly presenting your information, you will be barred from ever suing again. This means you will have used up your only chance for recovery and you will be stuck with all the costs and bills as a result of the accident that someone else carelessly caused.
For more information on Notifying Insurance After Accident, a free initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking by calling (843) 856-2222 today.