After you get into a car accident, you’ll likely be looking into making a personal injury claim. The driver’s insurance should cover your injuries, but your insurance may also kick in to help pay the bills.
There are both first and third-party claims that can been made. A first-party claim is one you file with your company, while a third-party claim goes to the other driver’s insurer or the insurance provider of the driver’s employer or business.
When you’re involved in an accident where someone else is to blame, you should file a third-party insurance claim. That claim goes through their insurance, and the provider should get in touch with you to discuss a settlement for your expenses. It’s at this point that working with your attorney can be helpful, since he or she can help you negotiate a settlement that works for your situation. If you can’t agree on one, then you could take the case to court where a judge and potentially a jury can determine how much you should be awarded.
After you make a claim, the accident has to be investigated. When that takes place, the police report and other evidence is used to determine who is at fault and what a fair amount of compensation would be. If the company looks at your medical bills, for instance, it should be aware of how much you need to recover and be able to adjust an award to fit the injuries and damages you’ve suffered. If you find the settlement to be inadequate, you can appeal it with the reasons why and what you’d like to see in the settlement to get to a point where you’d accept it.
Source: FindLaw, “Insurance Claims After an Accident: The Basics,” accessed Nov. 18, 2016