At Saffren and Weinberg, Marc Alan Weinberg, Attorney and Kenneth Scott Saffren, Attorney are partners. The firm’s tagline is “The People’s Voice In Court.” They make themselves available via phone at (215) 576-0100 or by email on the Saffren and Weinberg website. Saffren and Weinberg provides a no-charge, complimentary case review and answers questions for prospective clients.
What to expect from Insurance Companies when Filing an Accident Claim
Being involved in an accident while driving is not an uncommon occurrence. The most important thing to take care of after you recover from the personal injury is filing a claim with your insurance company.
Several insurance companies offer insurance against personal injury as well as auto accidents. In many cases, people prefer having different insurance companies handling accidents and personal injury claims.
Even if that is the case, you must follow the necessary steps to file a claim at the earliest convenience. There have been cases of the insurance companies delaying the insurance process to the extent that you get tired of regular follow-ups and give up in the end.
Here are some tips that will make your accident claim process with your insurance company a smoother one and help you be better informed:
Reporting Accident
You must make sure that you report the accident to your insurance company within 24 hours of the crash. While filing a claim, you may be required to share information such as pictures of the accident spot, name of the witnesses, if any. You must also share the cause of the accident and the kind of personal injuries that you have suffered.
Insurance Claims Process
Typically, the insurance company investigates the claim of the injured. If you have suffered physical injuries, you may be required to undergo a medical examination by a medical practitioner suggested by the insurer. Once the value of your claim gets calculated, and all other formalities are satisfactorily met, you will receive a settlement check issued by the insurance company.
Denial of Claims
There could be instances where the insurance company could deny your claim for various reasons. For example, you might have delayed in filing the claim, or the type of accident you have undergone might not be covered under the insurance plan you have chosen. Well, the reason may vary, but in all cases, you would receive a notification from your company along with the idea mentioned in it. So make sure to read the fine print of your policy document.
Appeals Process
If your insurance claim is denied, you may consider appealing the denial. Since the appeal process may vary from company to company; you may want to study your policy documents before appealing the denial. Alternatively, you may wish to seek advice from an insurance attorney who can help answer all questions related to your claim.
Value of Insurance Claims
Though it’s difficult to put a price tag on the emotional injury and pain you might have experienced after the accident; the insurance companies have a ‘damages formulas’ for calculating how much of an amount to pay for the personal injury or other non-monetary losses.
In ideal cases, the claims analyst would add up all your medical expenses and multiply it by 1.5, 2, 5 or 10 depending on the seriousness of the injury for determining the amount of ‘special damages.’
Personal Injury Attorney
There can be circumstances when the claim amount offered by the insurance company is inadequate. In such cases, you must seek advice and guidance from an experienced personal injury attorney. The attorney would evaluate your claim and answer all your questions related to the claim policy and procedures; he would also suggest the options you have for moving ahead.
You might not have thought of contacting the insurance company or filing a claim while you met with an accident. But it is very critical that you inform the insurer about such mishap at the earliest.
After all, that’s what insurance is meant for, and that’s what you are paying insurance premiums for – so that the insurance company covers your damages and medical bills in case of an accident.
If you are involved in a car accident that results in a personal injury, do not hesitate to seek help. Saffren & Weinberg is a dedicated law firm that helps people with personal injury, medical malpractice, and much more. Contact us today at (215) 576-0100 to learn more!
