I am representing myself in car accident. Is it true that you can request one check for medical bills & injury

Answer 1

How your claim would get paid depends on the type of claim that you have (medical payments, PIP, liability) and the laws in your state. With out knowing more about your situation its hard to to answer.

The best thing to do is ask the adjuster that is handling your claim. Most people don't realize that insurance and claims is one of the most heavily regulated industries. Adjusters are held to fair claims practices and standards. Many states have laws saying what adjusters can and can't do. We don't "trick" you into settling.

If the other party is at fault, his insurance adjuster is going to want to settle your claim for a fair value. Sometimes there are disagreements on what is "fair". But in the end, an adjuster's job is to pay claims.

The best thing to do, is keep the lines of communication with the adjuster open. If you have a question, ask it. If you want to double check anything the other co adjuster tells you- check with your agent or adjuster at your insurance company. You can even check with your states insurance department.

Most claims do not require the assistance of an attorney. I always recommend that you try to work directly with the insurance company adjuster. You can always hire an attorney later if you think things are not progressing.

Please keep in mind, an attorney is going to take 33% + expenses from your settlement for his fee. If he files a law suit, his cut goes higher. Also, hiring an attorney does not speed the process up. It usually slows it down b/c another person has been added to the equation.

Although, plaintiff attorneys like to get on TV and say that insurance adjusters are afraid of attorneys - the reality is - we are not. I work with attorneys every day. I know which attorneys in my area are smart and are good advocates for their clients. I also know which ones are idiots. (Like any job, there are some adjusters that are really good at what we do and a credit to the profession and there are some that are idiots. Attorneys are the same way - just cause he graduated law school does not mean he knows his way around a claim.)

Good Luck

Answer 2

You need to talk to your agent. Hopefully, you aren't ALSO acting as your own insurance agent.

Laws vary from one state to the next. So there are potentially 50 different answers (ok, realistically, maybe 10) to that question. So what you CAN get is very dependent on your state laws, and sometimes YOUR policy options.

Some states, you aren't entitled to ANY medical bills until YOUR policy has paid the limit. Some, you aren't entitled to any injury payments. Sometimes, it depends on the injuries, and YOUR tort coverage.

Answer 3

I really suggest you get an attorney. They know what you can ask for and what you are expected to get. It is the insurance company's prerogative to pay out as little as possible. An attorney' experience will allow him or her to know what the standards are and how to get the most money for you. And most only get paid if you get paid. Without an attorney you may end up with no payout or payout only for minimum amounts because you aren't familiar with the laws.

Answer 4

Don't represent yourself, you are asking to get screwed. You really need an attorney, believe me they have one and everything you say while representing yourself can be used against you later. It's not worth it.