What You Need to Know About Insurance Claims After an Injury

If you are hurt in an accident by someone acting negligently, you should consider filing a claim with his or her insurance company to have your damages covered. You should first understand how the process works before you file for your damages. Here are some things you need to know:

What Can You Expect to Receive?

When you are injured and you file a claim with the negligent party's insurer, you can expect to have many of your costs covered. This will include your medical expenses that are directly related to the accident, any income you lost due to your injury, and the costs for any physical property that was damaged in the accident. If your injuries result in a permanent disability, you should receive compensation for your lifetime, as well as costs for your emotional distress.

How Do You Determine Fault?

Before you can receive payment, the insurance company will determine who is liable for the accident and any injuries. One thing an insurer looks at is all the people involved in the accident and assign fault, including yourself. The insurance company will obtain a copy of the police report for your accident. They will then use a process that assigns fault to each party involved in the accident. If they find that you have a zero percent of fault, you can expect to receive full compensation for your damages. If you are found partially responsible for the accident, you will get a lower percentage to settle your part of the accident. You could receive a partial percentage if you were acting negligently in some way, such as crossing the street that does not have a crosswalk section.

Do You Need an Attorney?

You are not required to have an attorney to file against an insurance company for damages for your accident. However, it is always a good idea to have an attorney on retainer even if you do not need to go to court for your case. A personal injury attorney will have the necessary expertise to help you obtain a fair settlement. He or she will work on your behalf if they believe your percentage for fault is too high or if you receive a lowball settlement offer.

A personal injury insurance claim can be difficult to navigate, and you do not want to devalue your injuries. You should work with services like The Harris Law Firm that can help you get your settlement as quickly and fairly as possible.