The length of a personal injury case depends on several factors, and will be different for each case. The best way to answer the question is to describe the events that must occur before the claim can be resolved. There are several stages of a personal injury claim leading to the conclusion of the case. The first stage depends on the time that it takes my clients to recover from their injuries. The end of this stage is reached when
We hear this from clients often, and you may be surprised how often this comes up, that a party to a collision with make conflicting statements to insurance companies about the details of the collision. If you were in a car accident, unless you have verifiable witnesses, it will be your word against the other driver’s. The Police Officer’s Narrative & Opinion Regarding Fault Police officers often make statements in the narrative on the crash report that influence whether an
Perhaps you have received a friendly call from a claims adjuster requesting a recorded statement regarding how the accident occurred and the type of injuries sustained. Often, the adjuster will make it seem that such a statement is standard procedure and is required. This is false. Other times, the adjuster tells you that they cannot process your claim without the statement. This is also false. In general, you should never give a recorded statement to the insurance company or
Your NC crash report is a key document and very important to your injury claim. If you were in a collision and need help understanding your crash report, you should call a personal injury lawyer. You can also use our NCDMV 349 key of codes to decode your crash report. What Information Is Included in the Crash Report? Usually, the crash report will list a description of the vehicles and parties involved in the collision, the location of the accident,
If you were involved in a car accident or automobile wreck that was not your fault, you should contact the insurance company of the at-fault driver to report a claim. You may also have insurance coverage that you can collect under, and therefore you should report the claim to your insurance company as well. Contact Information for the At-Fault Driver’s Insurance Company Whether your automobile accident was investigated by the Police Department or State Highway Patrol, the investigating officer should
Car Accidents, Personal Injury
Should I Sign the Medical Authorization Release Form from the Insurer?
After you make an insurance claim, whether you were involved in an auto accident, truck accident, motorcycle accident, or other accident that results in injury, an insurance adjuster will be assigned to your case. Their job is to investigate the claim, determine whether you should be paid for your injuries, and negotiate a settlement with you. It is crucial to remember that the insurance adjuster’s primary role is to save the insurance company as much money as possible. Therefore, you
The total loss check will be issued to the owner of the totaled vehicle if the car has been paid off and the owner holds the title, meaning that there is no remaining loan payment for the car. If, however, the vehicle is being financed, the insurance company will have to determine the pay off amount of the vehicle. If the total loss settlement exceeds the pay off value, the insurance company will generally issue one check for the amount
Generally, the rental vehicle provided to you should be comparable to the vehicle that was damaged, but the rental company’s inventory at the time is usually taken into account. Before obtaining the rental car, it is wise to first contact the insurance company to ensure that they will pay for the cost of the rental car. Usually, insurance companies can quickly make a rental car reservation for you. Rental Cars for a Total Loss Claim If your vehicle is totaled,
In most cases, you should feel free to handle your property damage claim yourself. After you car is appraised, the insurance company will let you know if the car is considered a total loss or if it can be repaired. A motor vehicle is considered repairable if the cost of the repairs and supplemental claims (e.g., rental car expense, towing fees, and storage fees) are less than 75% of the fair market value of the vehicle prior to the accident.
After an automobile accident, the towing and storage fees can be significant. A vehicle may need to be towed multiple times, with each tow adding to the total costs. For example, many times a damaged vehicle will be towed from the site of the accident to a storage facility until further arrangements are made, and then the damaged vehicle will need to be towed from the storage facility to the repair shop that the client chooses. Often clients ask who will be