Do People Underestimate The Personal Injury Claims Process?

A lot of people underestimate the personal injury claims process. They hope that the insurance company will play fair. If they got hurt, they should get paid. Most of the time what happens is the insurance company will contact them and will try to resolve the claim as quickly and as cheaply as they can, before they have a chance to find out how badly hurt they actually are. Once they get past that point, if they haven’t settled with the insurance company, they will do everything in their power to not pay fair value on their claim. That’s why people end up hiring an attorney. It often takes a significant amount of time, depending on who the adjuster is. You may have to actually file a lawsuit and proceed down the road some distance with litigation in order to get the insurance company to offer a fair result.

Do People Generally Try To Navigate Through The Personal Injury Claims Process Without An Attorney?

If people haven’t been through the process before, they might very reasonably assume that they can handle it, mostly because an attorney looks expensive. They feel like the insurance company ought to play fair or be straightforward. They realize quickly, when they begin dealing with the insurance company, that the company is not out to protect their best interests. The way the insurance company makes money is by collecting premiums and not paying out on claims.

It is said that people who hire an attorney typically end up getting three to four times what they would typically get by trying to do it themselves. It’s going to be different in every case but on average, a good attorney is going to get a better net result for the client than they would get by dealing with the insurance company directly.

What Are the Time Limits For Bringing An Auto Wreck Injury Claim In California?

In most cases, the time limit is going to be two years from the time of the auto accident. There are some exceptions. If the person who hit you is working for a government entity, you have to file that claim within six months. If the injured person is a minor, as long as the defendant is not a government entity, they are typically going to have until their 20^th birthday to bring a claim. Talk to an attorney to find out if there are any specific exceptions that apply to your case.

Should I Notify My Insurance Company Of The Accident? Am I Responsible For Notifying The Other Driver’s Insurance Company?

It’s not your job to notify the other driver’s insurance company until you are ready to make a claim. As far as your own insurance company goes, if you owned the vehicle and you have property damage coverage, often the easiest way to get that paid for it is to collect it from your own insurance. Then, they go after the other insurance company to be paid what they have paid out to you. Also, if you have medical payment coverage, you are going to want to talk to your own insurance company because they will typically be paying for some of your medical care.

For more information on Underestimating Personal Injury Claims, a free case evaluation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking by calling (408) 687-9155 today.