Getting in a car accident—whether it’s a minor fender bender or a major crash—can be traumatizing in more ways than one. But other than dealing with the mess at the scene and recovering from any damages done to you, moving forward is a costly process as it involves paying for vehicle repairs and medical bills. With that in mind, the insurance company plays a pivotal role in compensating for your lost wages and medical expenses.
Unfortunately, sending an accident claim and getting the compensation you deserve isn’t as simple. In cases when your insurance company denies your claim, it’s important to have legal representation to help you file a lawsuit against the other party. But before that, it also helps to find out why your claim was denied in the first place.
Know the Cause of Your Accident Claim’s Denial
Insurance companies use various reasons to reject accident claims, but some of the most common reasons include:
- The driver of the other car was deemed to be at fault by the other driver’s insurance company;
- The driver who filed the accident claim was deemed at fault by the other driver’s insurance company;
- The other driver’s insurance company found no evidence of an accident;
- The other driver’s insurance company found that the accident took place at an intersection;
- The other driver’s insurance company found no evidence of your injuries;
- The other driver’s insurance company found no evidence of your damages;
- The other driver’s insurance company found that you were not at the accident site.
Lacking the Right Type of Coverage For Your Accident Claim
Not all types of car insurance policies will meet what you need for your accident claims. Policies with lower liability limits may waive your claim, especially if you have a minor fender bender or a hit-and-run accident.
Your insurance policy’s liability coverage determines how much money you can receive for your accident claim. For example, if your injuries aren’t serious enough, your liability coverage will not cover your medical bills.
If you want to be sure that your insurance provider pays for your accident claim, you may want to get more than just the minimum coverage, as this will ensure that you get the maximum amount of compensation.
Incomplete or Inaccurate Claims: A Common Major Cause of Denial
Accident claims are often denied because you failed to submit the right amount of information. In fact, this is one of the most common reasons why claims are denied. Inaccurate and incomplete claims can be due to the following situations:
- Not reporting the accident to your insurance provider within the first 24 hours (NOTE: you should report the accident within the first 10 days of the incident);
- Not writing details about the vehicles involved in the accident;
- Not providing sufficient information about the vehicles involved in the accident;
- Not reporting the accident to the police or not filing a police report;
- Not providing a complete explanation of the events that led to the accident;
- Not explaining your injuries in detail;
- Lacking a physical assessment by a medical professional;
- Failing to provide a statement by the insurance provider;
- Failing to provide a statement by the police; and
- Failing to provide a statement by the other driver.
The Bottom Line: Get the Compensation You Deserve with the Help of a Lawyer
You should never settle for an insurance company’s decision to deny your claim. While your insurance will pay for the damages you have caused to the other driver in your accident, you should expect your insurance provider to pay for your own damages as well.
If you have been denied your accident claim and don’t know what to do next to get your compensation, contact the lawyers at Swiney & Bellenger.
How Can We Help You?
If you’re looking for a personal injury and worker’s compensation lawyer, you’ve come to the right place.
Swiney & Bellenger are reputable and passionate attorneys at law who know how to get the compensations their clients deserve. Call us at (205) 588-4652 to schedule a free initial consultation with our team!