In 2017, there were 21 fatal and thousands of non-fatal crashes in Fort Myers. If you survive the incident, it can have a devastating effect on your life and your finances.
But if you weren’t at fault for your accident, you could be in luck. You don’t have to handle all of the financial pressure of your crash on your own. Learn everything you should know regarding the aftermath of an accident that wasn’t your fault and how to handle the situation.
You Can Go Through the Other Party’s Insurance
One of the first things you should do after a car accident is to call your insurance company. But calling them does not mean you’ll rely on them to pay your claim. If the other party was liable for the accident, you may be able to go through their insurance company. As a result, your own premiums won’t rise and you won’t have to pay a deductible before being compensated.
If you know anything about Florida car accident law, you might realize that Florida is a no-fault state. There’s a misconception that this means that accident victims can only go through their own insurance company. In reality, the no-fault law does not apply to accidents involving significant damage or injuries. There’s a good chance your crash will result in enough damage or injuries for you to go through the other party’s insurance.
You Need to Calculate Your Damages
In order to file an insurance claim, you need to have damages. Those damages can include your medical expenses, missed wages, and vehicle repairs. However, the insurance company won’t be generous in their assessment of damages. They may argue that an injury was pre-existing or that your vehicle damage is less than it seems.
To avoid accepting a settlement that’s less than you deserve, you should calculate your damages. Doing so is easier than you might imagine. In an effort to determine your medical bills, save your receipts. Add up all of your co-payments, procedure costs, and medication expenses. But this isn’t the extent of your medical bills. If your injury is not fully healed, you will have future medical expenses.
Estimating your future medical expenses is difficult. For that reason, you may want to wait until you’re healed to make your claim. If you have an injury that takes months to heal or one that will never heal, you should ask an attorney about estimating your future medical expenses.
Other Expenses
Your missed wages are also relatively easy to calculate. First, you should save your pay stubs and compare them to your previous wages. How much money are you missing from your paycheck? Be sure to calculate your past and future lost earnings.
Finally, you need to determine your vehicle damage. Your best option is to take your vehicle to an insurance-approved body shop for an estimate. In some cases, the insurer will send over an insurance adjuster to estimate the damage. However, the estimate could be wrong. You should wait until the vehicle is repaired to accept a check.
You Should Work with an Attorney
If you want a fair compensation check for your accident, you should work with an experienced attorney. They will deal with the insurance company and prevent you from being mistreated.
As you rest and recovery, they handle all of the hard work. If you’re interested in getting legal guidance, contact https://www.attorneychappell.com/ to learn more.
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