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Car accidents can be overwhelming and dealing with an insurance company doesn’t help. Making just one mistake while filing your claim can cost you money that you need and deserve. Very often these mistake can be avoided if you would have hired an experienced car accident lawyer.
Here is a list of the five bad situations that could have been avoided if you consulted with a lawyer.
1. You Lost Out on Benefits Because You Settled Too Quickly
Settling quickly with the insurance company is in its best interest, not yours. For example, if you are not diagnosed with a chronic injury soon after the accident, and then you settle your claim, you are no longer eligible for compensation if it turns out your injury is more severe. An experienced car accident attorney would be familiar with all the insurance company’s tactics and would make sure you are compensated for all your damages.
2. The Insurance Company Denied Your Claim Because of Your Official Statement
In the wake of an accident, you have a lot to worry about. If you were injured, you could be recovering and considering future treatment or, if your car was totaled, trying to figure out how to get to work. While you’re worrying about how to get on with your life, an insurance agent might try and get your official statement about the accident.
If you give a statement, it could later be used against you. You don’t want to give a statement under less than ideal conditions and a car accident lawyer will make sure you’re not coerced into saying something that might cost you money.
3. You Missed the Deadline for Filing a Claim
According to Mississippi law, if you are in a car accident you can make a claim with the other driver’s insurance company if it was their fault. Third-party claims, as these are known, can get very complex if you were severely injured or fault is disputed.. However, you can’t file a claim indefinitely, and if you wait too long the statute of limitations may expire.
Compiling all the evidence for a third-party car accident claim can take time to make it air tight, so the insurance company ostensibly has no room to deny you anything. A car accident attorney will know the laws in Mississippi, and will make sure you don’t miss out on compensation for medical bills, lost wages, or any other benefits you are entitled to because of missed deadlines.
4. You Got Your Car Repaired at the Preferred Body Shop and They Did a Bad Job
Your insurance company will try and get you to go to one of their preferred body shops to get your car repaired. The reason they do this is to save money, not necessarily because that shop does the best work.
You are entitled to use the body shop of your choice, even if it costs more than the estimate from the insurance company’s preferred body shop. A car accident lawyer won’t let the insurance company pressure you into going into one of its preferred body shops for repairs that don’t meet your standards.
5. You Cashed an Insurance Check That Had a Release on It and Didn’t Know
Sometimes, insurance companies may send you a check to settle your claim that is tied to a release. This means that once you sign it, you are releasing the insurance company from future liability. You may not think your claim is over once you cash this check, but legally you have given up your right to make future claims even if you need more money.
An experienced car accident attorney will review all the documents that the insurance company sends that require your signature. This will ensure that the insurance company isn’t tricking you into giving up your right to future claims before your certain you won’t have any.
To learn more about the causes of car accidents, what injuries can be involved, and who can sue and what they can recover, visit our Mississippi car accident informational website. You can also use our contact page to request a confidential, free consultation.