Getting into a car accident might be stressful in itself because you’re worried about your health and the safety of you and others, but it also usually comes with various extra expenses which can put a strain on your budget. Because of this, it’s important to take steps that will ensure you’ll get compensated for what you went through. Even though it can sometimes seem hard to do, there are some tips that can help you get the most out of a car accident settlement that you might be interested in.
1. Don’t Settle For Less
Knowing how much you can potentially get is the first step to getting a good settlement deal. You’ll want to calculate minor car accident settlement amount before starting any kind of negotiations with the insurance company to ensure that your settlement won’t be less than you anticipated. When it comes to figuring out what you can get, there are a few factors involved. First of all, consider how much money you had to take from your life savings or from taking on credit cards or loans in order to deal with the accident aftermath. Then, take into consideration how much of your time was spent dealing with the mess that resulted from the crash. Unfortunately, insurance companies will often try to get you to take less, so it’s important to remember not to settle for less than what you can reasonably expect to get.
2. Out Of Pocket Costs And Medical Bills
As it was briefly mentioned, there are a lot of expenses you’ll have to deal with after a car accident, and your settlement should take these costs into consideration. If you had any out-of-pocket costs because of a car accident, be sure to add them up so that you can use this information when negotiating how much you should receive from the insurance company. The necessary car repairs costs alone aren’t always insignificant, so making sure to save the mechanic’s bill is important. Apart from that, you’ll want to calculate how much money you had to spend on transportation to and from work, medical appointments, and the like. If you suffered injuries that made you unable to work for a while, making sure to include your lost wages into the settlement is also a good idea. Also, if you were injured in a car accident, don’t forget to add up the medical bills as well, since they’re usually the most expensive part.
3. Talk To Your Insurance
Of course, you have to contact your insurance company after the accident. However, talking to an insurance company isn’t always easy since they will often look for reasons to not cover all the expenses you had. It’s important to only stick to the facts when talking to them. Be careful about how you word it, but don’t be afraid to stand firm on your demands. If you make a statement, and they repeat it back to you in a slightly different way and ask you to confirm, always revert to how you said it the first time. Accidentally assuming blame or accepting an answer you don’t agree with will weaken your settlement claim. For example, if you said that you entered a busy intersection at the green and the other driver ran the red light unexpectedly, the insurance company might phrase it like you entered an intersection and didn’t see the other driver heading your way. While that is the gist of it, it could imply that you weren’t aware of your surroundings, so it’s important to stick to the facts of what happened.
4. Get A Copy Of The Police Report
Having a copy of the police report is always a good idea after an accident. When you’re talking to your insurance company, it will be important to back up your claims with evidence. Also, if there was ever any question about who caused the accident or what happened in general, having this report is crucial. Getting the police report will strengthen your case and show what happened in the accident. Getting the copy should be pretty easy. All you have to do is to contact your local police or county sheriff’s office. They should provide you with a copy of the report for free, but if they don’t want to release it, then that might be worth looking into more deeply since it could imply that there was some miscommunication surrounding who caused the accident.
While all of these tips can help you get the compensation you deserve, it’s always a good idea to contact a lawyer so that they can help you through the process. Keeping evidence of all the expenses you had can help you to build better grounds for your claim. If you don’t feel that the offer you were given was fair, then it’s best not to settle for it because if you do, it’s not reversible. Make sure to be cautious when speaking with the insurance company about what happened in the accident, and don’t agree with anything you’re unsure about.
