Dealing with Insurance Companies After Car Accidents

American Press reported on January 30, 2010 about an $18.7 million road rehabilitation project taking 8 to 10 months to complete. The project included repaving the asphalt and repairing joints in the concrete pavement. As a result of the improvements, there were several road closures.

With congested traffic and road closures, vehicle accidents are bound to occur. When involved in a car accident, report it to your own insurance even if you may not have been at fault or you were a pedestrian. You may still benefit from your insurance’s medical payment or uninsured motorist coverage. A pedestrian who has car insurance may be able to claim from his/her own insurance to pay for medical costs when hit by a vehicle while walking on the road. Personal injuries may result in insurmountable debts from lost earnings and medical bills.

After a car accident, do not become too friendly with insurance adjusters, even your own. With your own insurance, there may be conflicts if the case is taken under the uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. This is when the other party does not have insurance. Do not admit fault at the scene of an accident or in a statement to the insurance adjuster. Only answer the questions asked and try not to elaborate too much such as saying you want to get the most money you can out of the accident. The insurance adjuster will be taking notes. The things a person says immediately after an accident will be given more weight because a person’s memory fades over time so what a person says right after an accident is thought to be more credible. If you say too much, it will be hard to say something different later on without being thought of as dishonest when giving a different story.

Sometimes insurance companies misrepresent the amount of the policy limits to settle cases for less than justified. Start a claim after you get all your medical bills. Insurance companies should pay what they think a jury will pay. Do not jump at the first offer. Get the adjuster to justify a low offer. The insurance adjuster may play games to delay the process by saying he or she is busy with other work. Be patient. The insurance adjuster delays to see how desperate someone is for the money.

You do not need to disclose to the insurance adjuster if you paid medical bills out of your own pocket or used your health insurance. The same is true for whether you used sick time or vacation for lost time at work. The other party does not get to benefit from your own precautions to address financial risks in the event of an accident. Your own car insurance or health insurance may want money back when you settle with the other side. If that is so, try to bargain for a lower amount if your own insurance does not help you in settling the case.

Lost opportunities and illness from accidents can leave people with insurmountable debts. Look to experienced Philadelphia, PA personal injury attorneys to help you recover from a car accident.