Moving Stress Can Cause Accidents and Mishaps!
Now that your moved and are in a new city, you have to get back to your normal routine. Unfortunately, navigating a new area can lead to accidents and mishaps. This is all mostly due to the stress from your interstate relocation and the move in general
Don’t be alarmed if something happens. As long as you’re prepared, you can handle any situation gracefully.
Take It One Step At A Time
Imagine this scenario: You’ve finally relocated to a new city and your car has arrived as you had to hire an auto transport service. You may not know it, but your body is still dealing with the stress from your move.
Now imagine: Days after your move, you get into a car accident. Seems like some bad luck, however it’s not uncommon for accidents to happen when you’re dealing with a new situation.
What You Can Do
As an informed driver, you understand what your responsibilities and rights are after you are in an accident that wasn’t your fault. After the accident, you know that you need to get insurance information from the other driver. Then you will need to file property damage and personal injury claim with the other driver’s insurance company.
The other insurance company will get in touch with you and offer you a settlement. At times, it can be difficult to know whether it is a fair settlement amount. Insurance companies will often offer an amount to you that you think is too low, but you may not know the most effective way to handle this process to get your dispute resolved in a satisfactory way.
It is never fun trying to negotiate a settlement with an insurance claims adjuster especially after going through the stress of a move. However, it does help to be informed in the process.
Here are a few tips to do just that:
Document Everything
As you get started with the process, it is critical to document each step along the way. It is essential to get insurance information from the other driver. If you fail to do so, you will be unable to file a claim at all.
Be sure to file a police report right after the accident takes place. Also, visit a doctor to have your injuries documented. Take photos of all the damage that your car has sustained. You may have to prove what happened, especially if the other driver lies about the accident. If you look at this site you can find out all you need to know about it. Any documentation that you can gather will be evidence that can be used to help build your case to demonstrate that the amount that you are claiming is just and fair.
Report and File Your Claim
After initiating your claim with the other driver’s insurance company, the process has begun. If the at-fault driver is underinsured or uninsured, and you do have insurance coverage for that, then you may need to file a claim with your insurance company. Contact your agent to get this process started.
Open Your Mail
So you are in a new home. Now what? Sometimes getting situated after a move is difficult.
After filing a claim, you will receive a letter from the insurance company confirming that your claim has been received and they will soon start discussing the claim with you. The letter is referred to as a reservation of right letter, which allows the insurer to acknowledge they have received the claim without having to accept the claim’s truthfulness. At that point, it is a good idea to consult with a lawyer on the following steps that need to be taken.
Relax
It doesn’t matter how accurately your evidence is documented or how fair your claim is, the insurer will attempt to get out of having to pay the amount that you are owed. Like all businesses, insurers are trying to earn as much money as possible, and having to pay out expensive claims doesn’t help with that.
Of course, it isn’t anything personal against you, particularly if you have done everything properly. The negotiation process can be quite frustrating, but it is the only way that you can get an auto accident claim settled. They might try arguing that the car accident was entirely or partially your fault or you didn’t provide them with enough evidence – how don’t let this get to you. Calmly stick with your story.
The Negotiation Process Starts
If you have suffered damage to any property or bodily damage, then you should send a letter outlining your out-of-pocket expenses, medical costs, and lost income that was due to the accident. The insurance company’s claims adjuster will respond with their own assessment – or they may send one to you first.
They always offer a lower amount to you than what you believe you are owed. However, that is a normal part of this process. Don’t take it personally. You will either need to accept the offer from the insurance company or keep negotiating. If you are unable to reach an agreement with the insurance company, it might be necessary to file a lawsuit. However, it will not come done to that.
Conclusion:
It is important to always remember that the process requires a lot of self-confidence and patience. After a big residential move, it can be difficult to feel this way.
Additionally, it is a big hassle to file and settle a car accident claim. It can be very time-consuming to see a successful settlement through. Ultimately, it is well worth the time fighting for the money that you are owed. However, it isn’t an enjoyable process.
Half of the entire battle is arming yourself with the correct documentation and information. However, the other half is all grit – which you definitely do have!