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Choosing A Better Lawyer

When you are hurt in a car accident, there are a lot of things that run through your mind, but most people aren't focused on suing the other driver or their own insurance company. Unfortunately, because of the way the world works, most people find that they are given far less of a settlement than they deserve, especially if the accident wasn't their fault. I wanted to create a blog all about choosing a better accident and personal injury attorney, so that you can prevent longterm financial ramifications from your accident. I know that a lot of these tips helped me along my journey.

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Choosing A Better Lawyer

Understanding How Car Insurance Settlements Work With Your Insurance

by Willard Chambers

When you are involved in a car accident and make a claim with your insurance company, your insurance company is going to eventually offer you a settlement. When you file an insurance claim with your insurance company, you need to understand how the process workers.

An Adjustor Will Evaluate Your Vehicle

First, an adjuster will evaluate your case. An adjuster will come out and look at your car and determine if it can be fixed or if it is damaged beyond repair, which is called totaled. The adjuster will create an estimate of how much money they think is necessary to fix your vehicle. Then your vehicle will be taken to an auto body shop, where the auto body shop will determine if the adjuster's estimate was correct. The auto body shop will communicate with the adjuster and let the adjustor know if it will take more or less money to fix your vehicle. The insurance company will then let you know how much they will give you to fix up your vehicle.

If your vehicle is totaled, your insurance company will research the value of similar vehicles in the area to determine a fair price. They will then let you know what they value your vehicle at. You can try to negotiate that offer if you wish.

An Adjustor Will Look at Your Entire Case

Second, an adjustor will look at your entire case. Oftentimes, the settlement for the rest of your case is separated from the settlement for your vehicle. This is because it can take much longer to settle your medical bills and lost wages than it takes your insurance company to pay to fix up your car or give you money for a new vehicle.

Oftentimes, a separate adjustor from the one who worked on your car will evaluate your medical bills and determine how much compensation you deserve. This is also where compensation for pain and suffering and loss of quality of life come into play.

This is often when you need to start negotiating with the insurance company. Keep in mind that the first offer the insurance company brings you is going to be the lowest offer they think they can get away with. You have the right to counteroffer and ask for more. If you don't feel like you are getting a fair settlement, you can bring a lawyer into the situation to help you with the counteroffer or to help you open a personal injury case. Contact a law firm like the Labine Law Firm to learn more about car accident cases.

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