Most people who suffer personal injuries in car crashes will seek out compensation through insurance claims. This includes not only making a claim for payments through your own insurance policy but also demanding compensation from the at-fault driver’s provider.
Obtaining these payments can be difficult. Insurance companies understand the law and may attempt to shift blame for the incident onto you. They may also question your version of the events or dispute the extent of your losses. Filing a car accident claim in Elgin is the key to receiving fair payments. Let an experienced motor vehicle crash attorney with the Law Offices of R.F. Wittmeyer, Ltd. take the lead in this crucial process.
Initiating an Auto Wreck Claim
Individuals should immediately reach out to their insurance company after being in a car accident and achieving stable health. This allows for the release of personal injury protection, or PIP, insurance benefits and initiates an investigation into the incident. Sadly, these payments are rarely sufficient to cover a person’s losses. To achieve full compensation, they must file a claim with the other driver’s insurance company.
It is best to approach this step with caution. Insurance companies will want to protect their own interests, and this rarely means handing out payments on a whim. When filing an initial report, provide only enough information to allow the insurance company to open a file. Be extremely careful of prewritten statements or engaging in phone conversations. These could be used to bolster the insurance company’s position on the case. Hiring a skilled lawyer at the Law Offices of R.F. Wittmeyer, Ltd. to deal with the insurance companies not only gives you an advantage at the negotiating table, but insurance companies must direct all correspondence to the lawyer and cannot address you directly.
Proving Fault and Answering an Insurance Company’s Questions
Insurance companies for defendant drivers will rarely offer fair compensation without adequate effort from an injured party. People seeking payments must be able to prove that another driver caused an accident and demonstrate how that event changed their lives. At the same time, the insurance company will be trying to frame the incident in a way that protects its customers and bottom line.
One way they may try to do this is to get an injured person to admit to a level of responsibility for a crash. 735 ILCS 5/2-1116 establishes the modified comparative negligence rule for car accident cases in Illinois. This means that courts will evaluate the actions of all parties involved in a car crash to determine who was to blame. If a court puts 50 percent or more of the fault on an injured party, that party cannot collect compensation. Insurance companies are aware of this rule and will likely try to shift blame onto injured plaintiffs. Working with a knowledgeable attorney who understands this law helps people better respond to an insurance company’s questions when filing an auto collision claim.
Contact an Attorney for Help Filing a Car Crash Claim in Elgin
Insurance claims against an at-fault driver’s insurance company are often the best way to receive fair compensation. However, these companies are not your friend and may try to shift blame onto you for the incident. This could result in a reduced compensation package or complete denial of the claim.
Working with an attorney could help to tilt the scales back into your favor. They can control the information that you provide to the insurance company and present evidence that makes it clear that another driver was wholly to blame for the incident. They could also protect you from common insurance company tactics and take the lead to protect your interests every step of the way while filing car accident claims in Elgin. Call the Law Offices of R.F. Wittmeyer, Ltd. to get started today.