Insurance and Car Accidents

    NEW YORK, NY, June 21, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ -- If you have been injured in a car accident, you will most likely have to deal with insurance companies in order to recover compensation for your damages. Unfortunately, the negotiation process with the insurance company can often be frustrating and complicated. While most insurance companies are happy to collect your monthly premium every month, they are often much less willing to disburse the benefits that these payments entitle you to receive.

It is important to remember that the insurance company is not on your side, and their goal is not to help make sure you have everything you need to recover from your injuries. Most insurance companies are primarily concerned with minimizing the amount of money they must pay for your claim. As a result, they will often do everything in their power to try and reduce the value of your claim or even deny it outright. You will need an experienced car accident attorney on your side to ensure your rights are protected.

Let your Car Accident Lawyer Negotiate with the Insurance Company

You are obligated to inform your insurance company that you were involved in a car accident within a reasonable time following the accident. However, you are not obligated to make any official statements to the insurance claims agent at this time, and you should never accept any initial settlement offers before consulting with an experienced car accident attorney. In most cases, the first offer you receive from the insurance company will not adequately cover your damages.

A skilled and experienced car accident lawyer should be able to calculate the true value of your claim with a good degree of accuracy. The factors which must be considered in the value of your claim include:

- Current and future medical expenses associated with your car accident injury
- Rehabilitation costs
- Lost wages due to time missed from work
- Property damage to your vehicle
- Pain and suffering

By letting your car accident lawyer negotiate your settlement offer with the insurance company, you can be confident that all of these factors will be considered. In many cases, insurance companies are more likely to make a fair settlement offer if they know there is a real threat of litigation. As a result, your lawyer can exert leverage that you may not have negotiating on your own.

Dealing with Uninsured or Underinsured Motorists

If your car accident is caused by an uninsured or underinsured motorist, his insurance (if he has any) will most likely not adequately compensate you for the true value of your claim. While you can seek the balance of your damages in a car accident lawsuit, it is likely that an uninsured or underinsured driver will also lack the money to pay for the damages awarded to you in court.

To guard against this scenario, you should always carry uninsured motorist coverage with your own auto insurance policy. To ensure you will have the coverage you need, it is best to carry the highest allowable uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage offered by your insurance company.

To receive the benefits to which you are entitled after being hit by an uninsured or underinsured motorist, you must file a claim with your insurance carrier by the appropriate deadlines. As with most other car accident claims, it is best to have your car accident attorney negotiate your uninsured motorist claim with your insurance company to make sure that you maximize the value of your compensation.

For more information about insurance and car accidents, please visit the website of Marc Albert, serving clients in the New York City metropolitan area.

Website: http://msainjurylaw.com

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