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How To Negotiate With An Insurance Company After An Accident



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Jan 18 2020
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You were just in an accident and the police report indicates the other driver was at fault. Yet, the diver’s insurance company doesn’t want to pay. This is to be expected. It’s what insurance companies do. To get them to pay out, it can sometimes take some tough negotiating skills to make sure you are fairly compensated.

 

The settlement should fairly cover the damage to the car, any injuries you have and unearned wages due to the loss of car and injuries. Before I get into the steps to get a great settlement, just a reminder that you’ll have to claim your settlement on your taxes.

 

Now, read on for the guide!

 

Contact your insurance company ASAP

If you are capable of making the call to your insurance company the day of the accident then make sure you do.

 

The sooner you contact them the better. You will have a clear memory of the events and can tell them exactly what happened. They will also get into contact with the other driver’s insurance company and then figure out what happens next.

 

Of course, the other driver is sure to dispute your version of events so hopefully you have a police report from the accident. If so, then you will want to send it to your agent ASAP.

 

Auto accident attorney Lamber Goodnow advises that you should get in touch with a lawyer as soon as you can to make sure you have your ducks in a row.

 

Keep accurate records 

The more information you have logged, the better your case will be when you try to negotiate.

 

In addition to the police report, you should also have a record of every phone call you have with police or your insurance company. Log who you spoke with and what time, as well as the topic of the conversation.

 

Any trip to your mechanic should also be logged and any estimates or bills for repairs should be as clear as possible.

 

Then, if you had to see your doctor, make sure that you have all the documentation and diagnosis that they have given you.

Car Accident

Calculate what your settlement should be

You can put a hard number on some of the items of your case. For instance, if your car was totaled, then you should get the amount necessary to replace the same model and same year as your car. If it was fixed the amount the mechanic charged to fix the car is easy to identify.

 

Any income you lost due to the accident either through the lack of access to transportation to your job, or from injury can be added to that number.

 

If you have any out of pocket medical expenses then those need to be calculated as well.

 

What is harder to put a number on is the suffering you are going through. Either from pain or stress and anxiety from the accident also needs to be compensated.

 

Ask for 25% to 100% more than what you think you will receive since the insurance company will attempt to negotiate that amount down.



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