Property damage and property loss claims associated with car accidents and personal injury claims have becoming increasingly more difficult to get covered amid the current world climate.
Whether you have had a car accident, a work-related injury, or a slip-and-fall accident, personal injuries bring stress with the pain. The injury itself can be painful and interfere with your everyday life, but what happens when your life is affected beyond your body?
Car accidents take an extra toll because your freedom to move is also affected. Your car is your primary mode of transportation and depending on the severity of the accident, your car may be unsalvageable. And if it IS fixable, it’s going to cost you a pretty penny to get your car repaired to the condition, both safety and reliability, it was before the accident.
What happens then? Who is responsible?
In some cases, you may want to make a personal injury and property damage claim. The personal injury claim is for any bodily harm you suffered during the accident. The property damage claim is for any damages or loss caused to your vehicle in the accident (including towing your car, rental car expenses, and damage to your personal items and belongings in the car). These two claims are handled separately and people are often advised that they do not need a lawyer for their property damage or property loss claim.
This isn’t always the case. We’ve seen an increase in insurance companies denying property damage claims lately. Insurance companies have become much bolder and more stringent in what they consider for property damage or property loss claims. Whether this is due to an increase of claims in recent months from COVID-19 or not is unknown, but we have certainly seen more people being denied.
It is not uncommon for the other driver’s insurance company to deny your claim, but having your insurer should ever deny a property claim. If they do so improperly and in bad faith they are subject to penalties and paying your attorney fees. We recently helped a client recover more than the value of a stolen car because of an unfair denial by an insurance company.
Tips
There are also some common reasons why insurance companies deny claims, and there are some things you can do to help prevent a denial. For example, you should always file your claim as soon as possible with your own insurance company if you have collision coverage, and with the other driver’s as well. The rule of thumb with any claim is the sooner, the better. You should also ensure you have proper documentation, especially pictures and proof of improvements to prove your losses or damages from the accident and that you provide your insurance company with these documents as soon as possible.
How We Can Help
When you need to make a claim for both a property damage and a personal injury claim, you’ll be told you don’t need an attorney for the property damage. In a perfect world you may not, but dealing with a professional claims handler on your own is risky. At The S.E. Farris Law Firm, we will help you on both of your claims; we will work on the property damage/loss part of your claim for FREE when you hire us on your personal injury claim. Get the compensation you deserve for the damages you’ve suffered.
If you or a loved one has been in a car accident, contact us today and schedule a free consultation for your personal injury and property damage claim.