What to do if you are in an automobile accident?
It’s never a good time. You’ve just been in an automobile accident; you’re still shaken up and confused. Just like any other emergency situation, you need to understand what to do before it happens, so you can be prepared when it happens. Keep a list clipped to your insurance card in your glove compartment. You do have your insurance card in your car, don’t you? Even though many states don’t require this any more since considerable of this is computerized, you need your auto and medical insurance info with you in case of emergencies. Keep calm and follow these five steps any time you are in an automobile accident.
1. Is anyone hurt? In hospitals they call this triage. Assess the dwelling and pick of the most important first. Are you or anyone involved in the accident injured in any way – even a minor injury? Shock has a plan of minimizing pain and injury. Make sure no one is injured or call for medical assistance immediately.
2. Call the Police. It doesn’t matter whose fault it is. You need a police picture to file with your insurance company. Do not be talked into not calling the police by the other party. No matter what they say, if you fail to get a police report, you may be giving up any and all rights you have to recover damages to your vehicle, contents, or yourself.
3. Trade information with the other drivers. This should include driver’s license numbers, tag numbers, contact information, and information from insurance cards. If anyone involved doesn’t have a valid driver’s license or insurance, don’t bag confrontational. Wait for the police to arrive and let them include this information in their report. If anyone tries to leave the scene before the police arrive, again don’t try to conclude them. Attempt to get the effect number and manufacture and model of the vehicle and wait for the police to handle it.
4. Consume some pictures. Got a cell phone? Get some pictures of the vehicles and the environment. If this ends up going to court, the person who is the best prepared usually wins the case. Take pictures of the damage to your vehicle, the site of the vehicles, and any skid marks or other indications of what happened.
5. Look around for any witnesses. See if anyone who may have seen the accident is willing to wait for the police to arrive, or at the very least, give you their contact information. If the case ends up going to court, having an look witness that can verify your account may be the difference in winning.
Filed under Automobile Insurance Information by on Mar 14th, 2011. Comment. 
These days, it seems as though there are just two types of people in the world- those who will assume online and those who collected prefer to hand their cash to a staunch, live person. There are two perspectives of this, the determination of whether to prefer auto insurance online or catch it in person. One of these is just how much you really trust your computer, and the other is how noteworthy human interaction you really need to buy an auto insurance policy.
The security issue of doing business online is peaceful a tricky one; a problem which in all honesty is one which has not yet been fully resolved. If this is your reasoning for not wanting to commit yourself to purchasing auto insurance online, keep one thing in mind: even if you go to visit your friendly local insurance agent to purchase your auto insurance, they’re going to have to send your personal info (including your credit card number) into the limbo that is the internet from there, too. The put a question to then becomes: how much upselling are you willing to put up with for that peace of mind?
Laying aside the threat of identity theft, purchasing auto insurance over the internet is a fast, safe, and painless process that can grasp less time than it takes to finish your morning cup of coffee. You’ll receive a no obligation quote (so long as you are dealing with a reputable company) and should you settle to purchase, you’ll often be able to print out your insurance card, or at least a temporary one, immediately. The other benefit to buying auto insurance online is that you can mercurial check quotes from as many different insurers as you want, making comparison shopping equally painless. So, to review the positives for buying car insurance online:
1. It’s a quick, easy painless process
2. You can often print a temporary insurance card immediately
3. You can compare multiple quotes from several sources quickly
And the negatives:
1. Potential for identity theft
Purchasing from a flesh-and-blood insurance agent also has its benefits, however. You can always do your comparison shopping online and then go to an agent if you feel at all confused about your coverage. The internet, while uniquely agreeable to providing information, falls woefully short of acceptable in appropriate information. Skeptical? Try typing “auto insurance” into your search bar. If you’ve hit upon this article, than you’ve done well. There are so many insurance companies out there that rifling through them for information of a non-biased sort is going to be practically impossible to accumulate. This is where an agent can step in and clear the air, so to speak.
Your auto insurance agent is uniquely suited to provide the right information at the right time. If you have questions concerning coverage, an agent is the one to ask. If you have questions about discounts, an agent is the one to ask. Be willing to spend some time with them to really understand what coverage you’re getting and under what circumstances you’ll be covered, and what circumstances you won’t. Be aware, though, that first and foremost, your insurance agent is a salesperson, and that it is their job to sell you the farm. Be aware of what you don’t need, and don’t let them talk you into something you don’t understand.
Both methods have their positives, buying car insurance online and in person, and by and large, it comes down to which method you’re most comfortable with. If you’re comfortable with the internet, by all means, use it. If you have your doubts, however, and still prefer that handshake before you leave the office, then there’s someone there to take care of you, too.
Filed under Automobile Insurance Information by on Feb 20th, 2011. Comment.
No, I am not an attorney! Nor, am I with legal aid, or any legal agency affiliated with insurance companies. I am just some poor slob that’s been hit by other drivers too many times and “literally forced” into learning the best ways to resolve with insurance companies!
A driver has not lived until they experience the “horrors” of being involved in an auto accident with severe injuries and your vehicle is completely totaled. Unfortunately, the precise “Nightmare” does not begin until you try settling with the insurance company.
I’ve been operating motor vehicles for the past 36 years here in U.S.A. and it seems like at least every two years another driver hits my vehicle, normally in the rear! Believe it or not! None of these accidents have been my fault in 30 years! This information is based on documented facts from 16 auto accidents I have personally been involved in over the years. Some of them went to court.
Here are the 10 best ways I have found to settle an auto accident insurance claim.
1. Whenever you are involved in an auto accident. DO NOT get out of the vehicle if it is a busy street. Call 911 for benefit. If you don’t have a cell phone, someone driving by will normally call for help. The reason why, you could gather ran over by another vehicle! Wait until the rescue workers near at the scene. If you are not severely injured, the rescue team will have the traffic blocked, by then, you can accumulate out and talk to the police officers and paramedics.
If you are not injured, be distinct to get the other drivers full name, phone number and the name of their insurance company, policy number and the insurance companies claim phone number (if available). Also, try to get a name and phone number of anyone(s) that witnessed the accident. Normally, police officers don’t do this, unless it’s a severe accident with major injuries or fatalities and that also really just depends on how much time they have. Police officers will fill out an accident report, but if it’s a minor accident, a lot of the valuable details could be missing if you have to go to court years later regarding this accident.
If you have a camera phone or any camera available, take any photos you may mediate that would be relevant to this claim, especially your vehicles and possible injuries. Ironically, if your vehicle is drivable, you could get hit the very “next day” and the insurance adjuster will try to divulge your property distress. Take photos of your vehicle as soon as possible. The body shop, insurance appraiser and insurance inspectors will take photos, especially if you have filed a personal injury claim. DO NOT Thunder THE INSURANCE COMPANY that you have these photos in your possession. This is what attorneys call “keeping an ace in the hole” If you hire a law firm to handle your claim, they will explain the reason why?
2. Personally, I would go ahead and call the other drivers insurance company to find out if they have a “valid” insurance policy, even if your at the emergency room. The reason why, is because there are so many drivers without valid insurance. You can always file a claim with your insurance company for an un-insured motorist accident, if this is included in your insurance policy, unfortunately, you will have to pay the deductible. “Hit and Run” accidents are treated in the same manor. If the other driver does not have valid insurance, you should report this to the police department and your insurance company immediately!
3. Go ahead and file your claim with the other drivers insurance company, be sure that you give them the exact phone number where you can be reached night or day. These adjusters will normally only call you once and it’s literally impossible to call them back without getting their voice mail! DO NOT VOLUNTEER a lot of unnecessary information when filing your claim, I don’t know this for sure, but the CSR claims taker could possibly be recording your conversation for the claims adjuster to analyze whenever they do finally call you. These adjusters get paid good money to keep their cost of expenses down. Unfortunately, because there are so many false or false claims, adjusters are forced into this situation.
4. Write down immediately what happened on a notepad the events that took place regarding this accident or place it on a computer file. Be sure to write down every detail you can possibly consider of such as: Was it raining? What time of day was it? Was there a lot of traffic? How were you struck? Was the other driver helpful? Did you have any witnesses? Was your vehicle drivable? Did you go to the emergency room? What happened in the emergency room? Also, if you have to hire an attorney, the first thing they will ask for, is to study your notes.
5. What documents do you need to keep after this accident? All medical bills, rental car receipts, gas card purchases, time of expenses driving back and forth to the doctors office, loss of wages check stubs, photograph receipts. Also, get a copy of the value of your vehicle, such as the blue book that banks often use or the www.nadaguides.com in the consumer section. Majority of the time, the adjuster will only offer you the wholesale value or the lowest designate if your vehicle has been declared totaled. This is what claim adjusters call “Fair Market Value” versus expense of repairs.
6. Whenever the insurance adjuster does finally call you, they will most likely also offer you the lowest price for repairs to your vehicle. This is standard procedure. “Do Not scream at these people!” This will only make matters worse and they might not call you back for a month! You can always decline their offer and wait a couple of weeks, to see if they may up the offer especially if your vehicle has been totaled! Also, if you have personal injuries, they may assign a different claims adjuster that specializes in personal injury claims. This usually happens in the bigger insurance companies like Situation Farm and Allstate from what our attorneys have told us. Be sure to also get the adjusters fax number, and you can fax them your decision. DO NOT send them unnecessary statements, they can and will use this against you in court! We found this out the hard way with Region Farm Insurance!
7. If you have a personal injury, you can always use this as leverage to get a rental car, especially if your vehicle has been totaled, by telling them you need a vehicle to drive back and forth to the doctors office. If your vehicle needs to be repaired, I would recommend getting an estimate from someone that is NOT affiliated with the insurance company. Some of these insurance appraisers will try to slit their losses on repairs and you may have to end up paying the balance. Some insurance companies will sigh you a check and some will make out the check to the body shop once your vehicle has been repaired.
8. If you settle your property damage claim without using an attorney, be distinct that the contract does not have any words like “injury” or injuries sustained” anywhere in their contract, especially if you filed a personal injury claim. You will have to give them the title and of course the vehicle, before they can give you the check, if your vehicle has been declared a total loss. The larger companies will fair give you a check without a contract, that’s what State Farm did with us. Over all, most attorneys do not handle property afflict claims.
9. If you have the time, you can always get a copy of the accident report at the courthouse in the same city normally within 3 days. Some of these insurance companies will take up to three weeks to get this report and until then, they will normally offer you absolutely nothing! Simply because they want to find out who’s fault it was! If you hire an immediate attorney, this is also very good to have on your initial visit.
10. The best way I have found to hire an attorney, is to check with friends and family members. My advice, if you have sustained personal injuries that will be permanent, I would use an expert trial attorney. You can always interview different attorneys. Be definite to choose an attorney that you feel comfortable with. These people can sometimes stay with you for years and years! I would also recommend viewing this attorney in court to see what kind of tactics they are using against these insurance attorneys. In most states, you have a minimum of 1-2 years before you have to file a lawsuit to recover your losses and expenses. Insurance companies like State Farm and Allstate are notoriously acclaimed about waiting until the last week to settle your personal injury claim. Remember also, lawsuits are filed against the other driver and not the insurance company! Go to your local library and research personal injury books.
I hope this information has been helpful,
Thanks,
Phillip Chambley
Filed under Automobile Insurance Information by on Jan 23rd, 2011. Comment.
Driving a truck for a living, I don’t spend much time thinking about insurance for my car. Lately, though, I’ve been talking to some of my friends, and the wife, about it. Maybe it makes me sound old, but I remember when auto insurance wasn’t mandatory. Now that we all have to have it, there are some little “details” I’d like to discuss.
Detail One:
A friend of mine thought his insurance was paid up, after all, he’d been making the payments every month for his car and his wife’s car. When his “tags” came due in April, he went to the DMV and was given the original tags. The next month, he was pulled over and told his registration had been pulled by the plot. The car was impounded. My friend went to court, explained everything to the judge and proved that his car insurance had never lapsed. He was found “Not Guilty” in the morning and his car was sold to someone else that afternoon. How’s that for unfair? The scrape turned out to be that his insurance company had applied both payments to his wife’s car and cancelled his coverage without ever telling him. The lesson here is to be very careful which insurance company you choose. Having a local agent is always better than just sending payments to someone you don’t know.
Detail Two:
A couple I know hadn’t had a car for a couple of years and needed to get insurance when they finally bought a car. They called Geico and were assured that they would be covered. The husband had gotten a ticket in his work vehicle and told the Geico rep. Since it was a work vehicle, Geico assured him it wouldn’t be a problem. They mailed the check and received their insurance cards. Three weeks later they got a small check in the mail with a cancellation perceive! It seems the on-the-job ticket made them ineligible for Geico insurance. But they had been driving for more than a week, uninsured. The lesson here is not to maintain the television ads. Shopping for car insurance should be like shopping for new shoes. One size doesn’t fit all! Make sure you investigate before buying.
Detail Three:
Another friend of mine unprejudiced bought a current car. He arranged for the insurance through his own agent, unaware that he was supposed to assure the lending company. Several months went by, during which he received strange phone calls. Most were recorded messages, telling him he was uninsured and asking that he call an “800″ number immediately. Since the recording didn’t use his name, he assumed it was a execrable number and ignored the calls. His car payment bill came and was twice the size it had been the month before! Outraged, he called the company and demanded to know why. The loan agent told him that his new car was uninsured and they were charging him for their believe insurance. It didn’t choose long for him to contact his insurance agent and settle the jam. This lesson is “Make sure you tell your lender about having insurance!”
Detail Four:
The wife and I did everything proper and used an agent we knew several years ago when we lived in California. We made the payments right on time and thought everything was fine until we heard on the news that the company we were with had pulled out due to a new law. Our agent had continued to collect our money every month, never mentioned that the company it was supposed to go to didn’t even do business in Calif. anymore. The wife called and chewed him out, demanding the money we’d been paying be returned. He didn’t seem to think he’d done anything snide and refused to repay the money. Our lawyer convinced him otherwise and he did give us a refund, eventually. The only lesson here is that stuff happens that you can’t protect against.
In conclusion, automobile insurance is a “necessary noxious” that we’re all stuck with these days. Lots of things can go wrong, but if you choose your company and coverage carefully, and expend an agent you know, you can minimize disasters if not preventing them altogether.
Filed under Automobile Insurance Information by on Jan 21st, 2011. Comment.
