If you are involved in a traffic accident and you aren’t at fault – regardless of whether you are a pedestrian or a driver of a two-wheeler, a car, or any other means of transport – you should observe the following points in your own interest:
Contact a Lawyer
To enforce your claims, you, as the injured party, should hire a lawyer who is experienced in the field of traffic law to handle the claims. A car accident lawyer is one of the right options for your case. The insurance company of the damaging party has to bear the costs for this.
Atlanta car accident lawyer can help you receive money for your medical bills and to walk you through the process. With a car accident lawyer, you could relieve your financial burden.
Look for a Vehicle Expert You Trust
As the injured vehicle owner, you are fundamentally free to commission an expert of your choice. This is almost indispensable for preserving evidence and determining the extent and amount of damage.
This also applies if the other liability insurance company has already commissioned its own expert without your consent. The costs of the expert report are to be reimbursed by the opposing insurance company.
Independent Preservation of Evidence/ Car Rental/Loss of Use
The complete backup of all evidence of the extent and amount of damage ensures that you are reimbursed for exactly what you suffered as damage. In addition, only a motor vehicle damage assessor can logically assess the damage and its extent.
And only the appraiser can decide whether the damage caused to your vehicle can be repaired or whether it is an (economic) total loss.
In many cases, the preservation of evidence about damage and extent is also required if there is later a dispute about the course of the damage or annoyance about carrying out the repair.
With the help of the report, the accident-related downtime of the vehicle can, of course, also be determined so that claims for compensation for loss of use or rental cars can be better documented.
If possible, try to draw attention to the accident situation on-site – e.g., with your mobile phone – to take some photos.
Assess the Extent of Damage
When selling a vehicle that has been repaired, the fact that it has been involved in an accident must usually be stated.
The damage report, together with photographs, can be used to show a prospective buyer the exact extent of the damage, and the invoice from the workshop can be used to prove the repair.
Attention Damage Management
Always keep the settlement of the accident damage in your hands! Accident victims are often offered the entire settlement of the damage by the liability insurance of the other party involved in the accident. Don’t get caught up in it!
In case of doubt, only an independent motor vehicle expert will assess the damage correctly and not an appraiser who (regularly) works on behalf of an insurance company. Do not trust any so-called claims management of any insurance!
And only a lawyer experienced in a traffic accident lawyer will be able to prevent the opposing insurance company from making unjustified deductions.
Look for the right car accident lawyer to ensure everything sails through smoothly.