Years of insurance advertisements have likely conditioned you to expect prompt and compassionate treatment from the insurance company following a motor vehicle collision. For many drivers and passengers dealing with injuries and significant property damage, the insurance claim process is much different than what they expected.
If you need insurance funds to repair your vehicle, pay your hospital bills or cover your lost wages, learning what to expect after a car crash can help you get the compensation you need while minimizing how much time you have to invest in resolving the claim.
The company wants to protect its profit margins
Every insurance company has to walk a fine line between minimizing its losses in the form of large claims and the risk of violating bad faith insurance laws. Companies have to uphold the policies they underwrite, but they often try to limit how much they pay individual claimants.
Offering a low settlement or employing aggressive negotiation tactics are both ways for insurance adjusters to keep what they pay out below the limits on the policy. You need to know the limits of the policy, which will be the maximum amount the company will cover. You also need to know your crash costs so that you can counter low offers.
There are several kinds of coverage available
Delaware has a hybrid insurance program that includes both liability and no-fault coverage requirements. Every driver should carry insurance to pay for other people’s losses after a crash and medical coverage for themselves and their passengers.
You may be able to make a claim against your own policy. Your no-fault personal injury protection (PIP) coverage can help cover your injury-related expenses. The other driver should also have liability coverage that will help cover your crash-related expenses, like your vehicle repair costs.
Insurance companies should respond to you in writing when you make a significant claim, and they may try to push you into accepting less than you deserve given the circumstances. If you worry about handling the paperwork, adhering to a timeline or negotiating on your own behalf, you may want to secure professional help for your insurance negotiations.
Understanding what kind of coverage is available under each policy and preparing for negotiations can help you maximize what you receive after a serious car crash in Delaware.