You should really consult with an attorney before you call your insurance company and you should always talk to a lawyer before you accept the company’s offer.
If you have been involved in an accident with injuries, you may be wondering if you need to hire an attorney to recover money for medical bills and damages to your vehicle. The short answer is “yes.” You should really consult with an attorney before you call your insurance company and you should always talk to a lawyer before you accept the company’s offer. Insurance companies are staffed with wily and experienced legal professionals whose goal it is to keep their money in-house. You should find an attorney who is well versed in personal injury law and can negotiate with the insurance company’s legal team. There are a few steps you should take to make things go smoothly after you have had an accident.
What to do at the Scene
When you have an accident, make sure to call the police and wait for a law enforcement officer to arrive. Get the names of any witnesses and find out if your accident was captured on camera. Always request a copy of the accident report and never admit to any fault.
Be sure to save copies of all your medical bills, including those for alternative treatments. Save your receipts for other prescription and nonprescription medications that you have taken as a result of the accident and get a letter from your employer stating the number of hours you have missed from work.
Insurance Laws in North Carolina
There are two basic types of insurance rules in the United States. Some states have a no-fault rule which means that a person’s own insurance company will pay their medical and property damage bills if they have an accident, no matter who was at fault. North Carolina is a fault state, which means that the person who caused the accident is responsible for paying the bills. However, the Old North State also has a contributory negligence rule, which means that if any of the fault of the accident can be pinned on you, you will not get any money. Like most states, drivers in NC are required to carry insurance. An insurance company will scrutinize your claim and the accident report to see if there is any way they can get out of paying you.
Calling your Insurance Company
If you decide to call your insurance company before hiring an attorney, they will probably ask you if they can record the call, but you do not have to let them record it. They will ask you many questions and it is never a good idea to answer a question of which you are unsure. They will then call the at-fault driver’s insurance company and try to work out a deal with them.
The insurance company will get back to you letting you know if they have accepted or denied your claim and how much the at-fault driver’s insurance company is willing to pay.
Does every personal injury case need to go to trial?
Most personal injury cases do not need to go to court. An experienced personal injury attorney will be able to negotiate with the insurance adjuster and get you an acceptable settlement. There are law firms in Durham that are staffed with legal professionals who have years of experience in dealing with insurance matters. Just click to visit the website. A trained lawyer can get you the money you deserve.
Authoritative Sources:
https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/title-registration/insurance-requirements/Pages/default.aspx
https://utswmed.org/medblog/alternative-back-pain-treatment/
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