Accidents are traumatic enough. But when you’re a victim of an accident, aside from the trauma, you’re also going through weeks and sometimes even months of treatment and rehabilitation, depending on what type of injury you suffered in the accident. Car accidents are painful enough, but then you even have to deal with the insurance company which can also be frustrating and long. Insurance companies serve and work in their best interest and it’s often the case that they reduce or even deny you claim to receive payment for the accident.

Insurance companies are not there to protect your rights, but their interests. They do this my presenting your injuries as small as possible and all that in order to reduce the amount they are owed to pay you as compensation.

What you need to know when working with insurance companies

When you have an insurance claim, the insurance company will give to an adjuster. The adjuster’s job is to take statements regarding the accident. Statements are taken from both drivers and furthermore, the adjuster will also review the accident report.

It’s likely that the adjuster will find that you had prior injuries or he/she might even deem that you’re the one responsible for your acceded which will surely further reduce your compensation. It’s also very common that the adjuster disagrees with your medical report and present your injuries as less severe that they really are. All these thing, make negotiations with the insurance company extremely difficult and very complicated.

Resolving an insurance claim

More than one factor influences how long it takes to resolve an insurance claim. If the outcome is favorable for the insurance company, they will tend to wrap up the process and quickly as possible. But it’s typical that tan insurance claim takes several weeks before it’s complete. And since the process can sometime be long and not to mention stressful, it’s beneficial to have a personal injury lawyer who can help with negotiations. Having a personal injury lawyer that knows the system can make things pretty straightforward. And in case the outcome of the insurance claim is not favorable for you, the matter needs to be handled by a court.

The insurance company denied my claim. What can I do?

Let’s assume that the insurance company denied your insurance claim or gave you a compensation that it’s not really what you deserve. In cases like these, there are a few things that you can do. The first thing is that you don’t sign any release or settlement check before you have a consult with your personal injury lawyer. Once you do speak to him/her, you have the right to waive taking any further legal action. Your personal injury lawyer will review all the details of the accident report and try to work with your insurance company in order to get you a better settlement. Proving your injuries are severe as claimed (if the insurance company presents them as not so severe) might require further medical documentation from your doctor. And in order to further support your case, accidents reconstruction can be used which will prove how the accident occurred. Your personal injury lawyer will send a demand package to your insurance company and in the even that they don’t agree / accept then you may sue and take the matter to court.

Working with insurance company is complicated and can be stressful if you don’t know how the system works. That’s why, in order to ensure best results and highest compensation, we recommend that you work closely with a personal injury lawyer.