If you get into a car accident, you’re probably going to have to file an insurance claim. It doesn’t matter who was responsible for the crash. If it was your fault, you’ll have to file a claim against your own insurance policy. If the other driver was at fault, you have to file a claim against his policy.
Your best bet is to file your claim the day of the accident or as soon as possible afterwards. It’s never a good idea to wait more than a day or two to file your claim. Most insurance companies require that you file your claim within a few days. Some state that your claim has to be filed within a reasonable amount of time. They consider a few days a reasonable amount of time.
You want to be the first one to file your claim as well. If the other driver files his claim first, he’s going to say you were at fault. It’s always a good idea to be the early worm. Most insurance adjusters are going to assume the first person to file is telling the truth. They figure, why wait to file your claim if you weren’t at fault? They don’t realize that you could be in the hospital or trying to get your ducks in a row.
This is why it’s a good idea to call and speak with an Atlanta car wreck lawyer right away. He can get your claim filed for you. He can also reach out to the insurance adjuster and see if anyone else has filed a claim for the same accident.
How Do You Get the Other Driver’s Insurance Information?
One thing an Atlanta car wreck lawyer is going to tell you is to always call the police after a car accident. The police will come to the scene and prepare a police report. They will also get the license and insurance information from all drivers involved in the crash.
If you agree to exchange insurance information with the other driver without the cops, you have no idea if you’re getting accurate information. For all you know, the other driver has no insurance. Or, they could be driving a stolen car and give you the real owner’s insurance information.
When the police arrive on the scene, they’re going to confirm that the insurance information is valid. If need be, they can call the insurance company and verify the policy number. They can make sure the registration matches the driver’s license information. If they think something is suspicious, they’ll make a note of this in the police report.
If you end up getting bogus information from the other driver, it could cause big problems. Even if you have the right license information, it doesn’t mean the insurance information is valid. But with nothing but a name and address, you could have a hard time locating the right insurance information.
Your Atlanta car wreck lawyer can call the police to get this information. He can also contact the DMV to see if they have updated insurance information.
Will Your Claim Be Paid?
If you file your claim on time, there’s a good chance that it will be paid. This is not always the case, however. Insurance companies deny claims all the time. Some of the reasons they may deny your claim include:
- The policy wasn’t valid
- The policy lapsed for non-payment
- The driver was not covered under the policy
- The insurance company thinks the accident was your fault
- They believe you weren’t really injured
Your lawyer can reach out to the insurance adjuster and find out why it was denied. He can also try to appeal your claim to get it paid. If this doesn’t work, he’ll have no choice but to file a lawsuit on your behalf.
Contact an Atlanta Car Wreck Lawyer Immediately
If you’ve been injured in a car wreck, you need to call an Atlanta car wreck lawyer right away. Your lawyer can make sure your claim is filed in time. He can also make sure it’s handled properly.
Call and schedule your free initial consultation today. You can sit down with an experienced car accident lawyer in Atlanta. He can review your case and let you know what it may be worth. He can also answer any questions you may have.
The consultation is free and you pay nothing until you settle your case.