Car accidents are traumatic enough. After all, you may have totaled your car and suffered from a herniated disc. The last thing you want to think about doing is contacting your insurance company! However, any personal injury lawyer in Dublin, would inform you that this is necessary to do, especially if you were at-fault.
Notify your agent
A personal injury lawyer will tell you that you will need to provide your own insurance company with more information than you would the other driver’s. You will also be abiding by more rules. You may well give a demand letter to your own insurance company. If you do, ask the assigned agent for verification through a letter that states the date the information was provided. Also make sure you get confirmation that your information has been forwarded to the appropriate department(s) in that letter.
Remember that your insurance company has rights that the other driver’s does not. These are:
● The right to directly access your medical and employment records
● The right to subrogate – obtain payments from you if you are reimbursed by a third party
● The right to demand your cooperation
● The right to inspect your vehicle
The right way to release medical and employment records
Personal injury lawyers know that you will need to sign the Authorization for Release of Records form your insurance company sends you if you ever want to receive a settlement check. If you are lucky, your insurance company may ask you to provide the required records. Many insurance companies do this to save time and money. If you are given a form to sign, be sure to read it thoroughly and carefully. You have the right to x out the portions and sections you think are irrelevant and only initial and sign the relevant portions and sections. You’ll need to provide a detailed letter explaining your actions if you leave out certain portions and sections.
The right to subrogate
Your insurance company can and will send you a right to subrogate form which you must sign. This letter basically stipulates that your insurer has the right to collect money from you if you either receive later compensation from another party or if you were found to be at-fault. Your insurer can subrogate against the other driver, especially if he or she was at-fault and your insurer reimbursed you for fixing your vehicle. The case for compensation is closed once you have signed the form and accepted the settlement amount. The only exception is if the other party was at-fault and your expenses are more than your insurance deductible is.
Cooperation and vehicle inspection
A personal injury lawyer will inform you that you must cooperate if you want to be reimbursed by your own insurance company. However, you only need to do so to a reasonable degree. For example, you have the right to decline giving a recorded statement if asked for one. You will also need to authorize your insurer to fully inspect your car before you can receive money to repair it. You will need to know how to negotiate with your own insurance company, especially if you were at-fault for the accident!