What You Should Know about Your Insurance Coverage
It is important that every driver knows and understands what type of auto insurance he or she has and what is covered in the event of an accident. While liability insurance covers the others, who may be injured by your negligence, there are several clauses in an insurance policy that apply if you have been injured:
Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
This pays your medical bills and lost earnings, up to a certain limit. This coverage applies regardless of who was at fault for the accident. Just because you make use of PIP, your auto insurance premiums should not go up. Although PIP compensates injured parties for their medical bills and lost wages, claims cannot be made for non-economic damages such as pain and suffering, inconvenience, or loss of life’s enjoyment. Your insurance company may also be entitled to reimbursement from any verdict or settlement. This is called subrogation.
Bodily Injury Liability
If you have been injured by someone else’s negligence, that party’s Bodily Injury Liability coverage should compensate you for all losses sustained as a result of your injuries. This usually covers all economic and non-economic damages.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage
This is coverage you buy to cover yourself and your passengers if you are injured by a driver who has no auto insurance or who does not have sufficient coverage to fully compensate you for your losses.
How Should I Document the Evidence?
The importance of documenting and preserving the evidence cannot be overlooked if you have been hurt in a car accident. Failing to document and preserve evidence is often the biggest mistake car accident victims make. Here are a few important pointers on what you can do to bolster your personal injury claim:
- To help prepare your claim, write down notes from the accident scene including location, time, and the circumstances when everything is still fresh in your memory. Be sure to provide copies of these to your attorney.
- Take good photographs of the collision scene, vehicles, and your injuries. Make sure they are kept in a safe place as they are critical evidence.
- Report all of your medical symptoms to your medical providers.
- Keep track of work days missed.
- Maintain a journal of your symptoms and their impact on your everyday life.
- Maintain a log of your doctor office visits
- Keep a log of your physical therapy appointments
- Itemize all your expenses
Contacting an Attorney
If you have been hurt in a motor vehicle accident, you should know that there is no magic formula to determine what compensation you are entitled to recover. Because Wieburg Law Offices, PLLC represents both injured parties and parties who have been sued, we are intimately familiar with all aspects of the claims process. When you open a claim with another insurance company, they will do their best to settle the claim as quickly as possible based on the information you provide. However, this does not mean that their settlement offer or offers are fair and comprehensive. You will also be dealing with professionals who have vast experience defending claims such as yours. They have ethical obligations to protect their insured. Who is looking out for your best interests? Who is making sure that you get fairly and fully compensated for all your losses? Anyone who has been hurt in a car accident would benefit from a free consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer who will thoroughly and honestly evaluate the case.