The car came out of nowhere.
It is a common refrain that unfortunately can lead to the denial of an auto insurance claim. To make matters worse, side impact car crashes often cause serious injuries, such as broken bones and lacerated internal organs. If you were involved in a side impact crash and it was the side of your car that got hit, then you should contact a state licensed personal injury lawyer to ensure you receive just compensation for not only paying for the costs of the injuries, but also paying the cost for repairing the damages done to your vehicle.
Filing a Valid Car Insurance Claim
An auto insurance claim is a formal request to receive compensation for all the costs associated with a vehicle accident. Not only do auto claims cover the costs associated with treating personal injuries and repairing car damages, the claims can also cover the costs a policyholder must pay to the other drivers and/or passengers. Medical bills and car repair costs can quickly exceed thousands of dollars, which means you must file a timely and accurate claim to receive just compensation.
As an integral part of a car insurance claim, a police report represents the official version of events. An officer from a nearby law enforcement agency will conduct a thorough investigation of the accident, from questioning witnesses to calculating brake times by examining tire marks. It is important to contact law enforcement for two main reasons. First, an insurance claim that is sent without an attached official police report carries little influence with an insurance adjuster. Second, although you might feel fine right after a car crash, physical injury symptoms can develop an hour or so after the accident. Having a police officer on the scene also ensures that the crash site remains manageable.
Collecting Evidence from the Accident Scene
The first thing to do after a side impact accident is to make sure you did not sustain any serious injuries. Then, get out of your car to make sure everyone involved in the crash is in good health as well. After checking on yourself and everyone else, place a call to the nearest law enforcement agency. Sometimes, a law enforcement agency does not respond to a vehicle accident or if it does respond, the officer responsible for reporting the accident is delayed in arriving to the scene of the crash. This means the burden of proof becomes your responsibility.
You want to exchange contact information with every driver, which should include names, addresses, and phone numbers. Next, interview witnesses that include the other drivers to determine whether there is a pattern that indicates one party is to blame for the side impact crash. Take photographs of any damage done to your car, as well as capture images of the surrounding area. Pay special attention to saving images of the damage caused to other vehicles. Photos of skid marks and chipped road pavement also should be included in your insurance claim.
Speak with a Personal Injury Lawyer
By speaking with an accomplished personal injury attorney, you will have a legal advocate on your side who is highly capable of negotiating a settlement with your insurer. Your attorney can also ensure a timely resolution for the insurance claim process. If another party appears to be legally negligent for causing your personal injuries, then an attorney can represent you during a civil court hearing.
Schedule a free initial consultation today with a personal injury lawyer who specializes in handling auto insurance claim cases.
