Nobody wants to encounter an unfortunate situation or suffer for any reason, but it still happens, and we often go through many difficulties, which is quite often due to no fault of ours. It’s just the way of the world. This is why you should also know what to do if you encounter an incident that caused you emotional or physical damage owing to someone else’s negligence. Chances are you were smart enough to have insurance, because you really should, and that means you are entitled to compensation if you went through an accident. But how do you know if you’re eligible for a claim after an accident?
Understanding your policy
You can’t really file a claim after an accident if you don’t even know what your insurance policy entails. It is important that you read your policy thoroughly and understand each clause in it. How much is covered, and are there certain stipulations so you could collect your money? Is there something in particular that you need to do after an accident? Questions like these will help you understand what the next steps are going forward because ignorance of your own insurance stipulations might result in you not getting any compensation and your claim being rejected.
Are you eligible for a claim?
Determining fault
The most important angle in the entire claims process is determining fault. It will determine which insurance company is paying, which party, and how much. Sometimes the fault lies on your shoulders, and other times the other driver is at fault. Some cases even include both parties being at equal fault, which requires a different settlement on its own. You should also understand how a claim is filed because sometimes it will be with your own insurance company, or with a third party.
If, for example, the accident was caused by you on the road, you will need to contact your own company to file a claim –– this is called a first-party claim. If the other driver was at fault, or you were hit while crossing the street, then you should file it with their insurance company –– the third party. In layman’s term, to determine eligibility, you need to determine who was at fault first.
Getting help
It would be a really bad idea to go about this entire claims process on your own. You need help from the moment you have an accident, and it will make a lot of difference in your recovery and compensation journey. For starters, professional lawyers would help you find out if you are entitled to compensation for your claim, which is the end goal. If someone was negligent and had an accident with your car, they should compensate you for your physical and emotional trouble, as well as property damage. When you have an experienced car accident attorney handling your case, you stand to make 3.5 times more money than if you go about it on your own, as studies show. It will make the entire process go smoother and ensure you get fairly compensated.
Having proof
One more thing that would really matter in your eligibility in filing a claim to the other party’s insurance provider is having proof. At the end of the day, no matter who did what, an investigation will be conducted, and an adjuster will be appointed to find out who was really at fault. The party who wins the claim is usually the one who can back what they’re saying up. It happens quite often that both parties blame one another for the accident, and it is up to the adjuster, in that case, to really answer that question. This is why it obviously helps if you have proof. So, after an accident, you should always take pictures of the entire site –– your injuries, both cars as they lay, and any other details. Get witnesses’ contact information because they can and will be substantial to your claim, and you’ll want their testimonies. You should also remember to get a copy of the police report if they were called, as well as the officer’s contact information, as they might also be needed to testify.
It is extremely exhausting and emotional to recover after an accident, and you will have to go through a lot of emotional –– and possibly physical –– suffering. This is why it is important that you get your affairs in order so you could be properly compensated and get what is rightfully yours. Always remember to appoint an attorney to handle the case for you, and they need to have experience in car accidents and this particular kind of cases.