When you have an accident, your friends, family, and medical professionals will tell you that the most important thing you have to do is to get better. Unfortunately, they will not be the ones paying your accident-related bills, and they cannot make up for the time you have missed away from work.
Before you call your insurance company, there are a few things you should know to make certain that you get the most money possible for your claim.
What to do at The Scene
When you have an accident, you should pull over to the side of the road, check on the other drivers and passengers, and call the police. When they arrive, you should request a copy of the accident report.
Be sure to exchange contact information with everyone involved in the accident. You should also get the names and numbers of anyone involved in the collision.
Document Your Medical Expenses
It is very important to go to the doctor after an accident, even if you do not think you have been injured. There are some injuries that may not be felt for weeks after a crash. If you feel pain weeks after the collision, and you did not go to the doctor, the insurance company may say that the pain is not accident-related and they may deny your claim.
If you need further medical treatment, you should save all of your medical bills and ask your doctor to write you a report. The report should include any further medical treatment you might need. You should also save the bills from physical therapy and any psychiatric treatment that you have.
You should save the bills from both prescription and non-prescription medications. You will want to save receipts from any help you have had around the house or any childcare you have needed.
The HR department of the company you work for can provide you with documentation of the time and money you have lost from work. If you are self-employed, you can establish how much money you have lost with previous tax records.
Making an Insurance Claim
New York is a no-fault state, which means that your own insurance company will pay your bills even if you are not the one who caused the accident. They will ask you a series of questions, but you should never feel pressured into answering anything you do not remember.
Provide them with the documentation they ask for right away. If they deny your claim, get them to send you a letter stating why, and contact a Long Island Lawyer.
If they approve of your claim, they will give you a settlement offer. Before you accept the offer, you should talk to a personal injury attorney. A lawyer will be able to tell you if they think the offer is fair.
Insurance companies will almost always try to lowball you at first. A trained attorney will have years of experience negotiating with insurance companies and they can get you a higher settlement.
If you are unable to work out a deal, and you need to go to court, you should not waste time if you need to file a lawsuit. The statute of limitations on personal injury lawsuits is three years in the state of New York. In the unlikely event that you have to sue, the more time you have for discovery, the more likely you will be to win your case.
An accident with injuries is a horrible experience. The more money you get, the better your recovery will be.
