How Can a Personal Injury Lawyer Assist with Property Damage Claims?

A personal injury lawyer not only helps clients with physical ailments that are a result of an accident, but can also help seek compensation for subsequent property damage. Often times people leave the settlement for property up to the insurance companies, not realizing that they may not be getting the full compensation that is owed to them. If you're already hiring a personal injury lawyer, take full advantage of their services by seeking their advice for property damages as well.

If the damages seem minor, the guilty party may try to negotiate with you to bypass insurance companies. More often than not, this is a bad idea. The person will often have a friend or relative who is a "mechanic" and can fix it for cheap. Or else they may offer to buy you off for a random sum, which you can believe will be much less than the actual repair costs. Unless they hand you a million, it's best to reject their offers. Insist they give you their insurance and contact info, and get a police report. Sometimes these wheelers and dealers won't even be legally insured.

You can seek compensation from your own insurance policy if you have collision damage in your contract. The problem is that you will have to pay a deductible and your rates will rise. A claim can haunt you for several years, even if you were not the driver at fault. However, you will have the peace of mind that your car is restored quickly without having to wait on the other party's insurance. If they were uninsured, this is likely the easiest route to take rather than attempting to collect via a lawsuit. If they couldn't afford insurance, they aren't going to be able to pay out of pocket for property damages.

If the other party is insured, be patient. They may take days to file their version of the claim, which means the company will take no action until then (not even supplying you with a rental car). When they do finally get in touch with you, don't be surprised to hear an extremely low offer or for them to claim that you are partially responsible for the accident, thus decreasing any compensation you can collect. The key to dealing with another adjuster is to negotiate, be firm, and don't give in. It's their job to keep you from getting all of the money you are owed.

The final option available to you is to file a lawsuit against the other party. This can be done through mediation or civil court if the damages are below $5,000. Anything above will require the assistance of an attorney. Regardless of which method you choose to use, a personal injury lawyer can help you get the proper compensation for personal and property damages. An attorney is skilled at negotiating with insurance companies and knows what a fair settlement is. People with legal representation on average receive much higher payouts than those who negotiate without.