You can collect on a car insurance claim without a lawyer by presenting your own detailed and organized case. You will need to stay on top of the claim from the very beginning. You will need to be firm.
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If you can convey the facts behind your request for compensation in a clear and well-documented manner, you will be well on your way to settling your own claim without representation from the legal community.
Think Like a Lawyer When Making Your Own Car Insurance Claim
Your case will benefit from as much documentation as you can muster. A winning file includes:
- Statements from other drivers in the accident
- Statements from the police
- Photographs of the accident (including close ups of damage as well as overall views of the accident scene)
- Medical bills and reports
- Proof of time away from work
- Car repair bills or quotes
When passing this information along to your claim adjustor, do so in a thorough and well-spoken way. You don’t need to hire a lawyer to compile this information, but getting yourself into the mindset of one will increase your chances of collecting on your car insurance claim quickly and fully.
Know How Much Your Claim is Worth
If you have faithfully compiled all the documentation needed to prove your case, you should also have a good idea how much that case is worth. Add up your medical bills (with estimates for future care), money lost from time away from work, and all costs associated with the damage to your vehicle in order to come up with a solid demand. If applicable, there is also a subjective amount that can be assessed for “pain and suffering.”
The larger the claim, the more likely it is that employing a lawyer will be worth the expense. If your financial stability and well-being is hinged on whether or not you are able to collect on this car insurance claim, you may want to consider if you really want to proceed without a lawyer.
Your car insurance adjustor will likely commence negotiations once presented with your demand. The adjustor’s job is to cost the insurance company the least amount of money possible. Be aware that the adjustor’s first offer will NOT be the ultimate amount he or she has been authorized to offer. It may take several volleys back and forth until you hear a compensation amount with which you are satisfied. In some cases, that amount may never manifest itself.
Don’t Give Up on Collecting the Amount You Deserve
If your own negotiations do not produce the results you are looking for, you may decide to bring in a lawyer to continue to advise you or to actively guide the negotiations in a more experienced voice. If you are still committed to closing this case without a lawyer, you might consider arbitration or mediation as ways to bring in unbiased parties to oversee the process. You also have the option of filing a complaint with the state.
Ensuring Good Faith
There is an obligation, articulated in each state’s legal canon, for car insurance companies to carry out each claim in a fair and timely manner in good faith. If you feel you have not been treated according to this doctrine, you can make a filing with the state.
Filing a Good Faith complaint requires you to submit a written description of the case to the state bureau that handles insurance issues. Not only should you include the details of the original case, but you will also need to outline the reasons why you feel your insurance company did not respond appropriately. Include documentation of the original accident and of all subsequent dealings with your car insurance company.
The state will then assign an investigator to look at both sides of the issue. That investigator will decide in favor of one of the parties. Since this is one of the last stops on the claim-collecting train, you may want to reconsider taking the final part of this expensive journey without a lawyer. The experience that lawyers specializing in Good Faith bring to the table could be invaluable to your case. Such lawyers also have the knowledge and ability to carry out the ultimate act in collecting a car insurance claim that the car insurance company does not want to pay: a lawsuit against the company itself for violating Good Faith provisions.
Avoid Hassles by Finding a Good Car Insurance Company
You can avoid tiresome negotiations and legal action by making sure you have a car insurance company that is truly looking out for your best interests. To find the best car insurance provider for your situation, use the online quote comparison tool provided, free of charge, on this pageto analyze several different quotes. Make sure that the company you choose offers not only a good price, but an established reputation of customer service.
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