After being involved in a serious car accident, I really believed that my insurance company would take care of everything. It wasn't until I finally received their settlement offer that I realized they were not on my side at all. This is when I got wise and consulted a personal injury lawyer. It was the best decision I could have made. Thanks to my attorney, not only did I learn a lot about personal injury law, but I actually got the compensation that I needed and deserved. I made a lot of mistakes after my accident, but I also learned a lot along the way. It is my hope that this blog will allow other accident victims to learn from common mistakes and get the information they need to be successful in their own personal injury claims.
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If you were riding your bicycle on the street and were involved in an accident with a vehicle that resulted in an injury, you're likely wondering what you should do afterward. Here are some tips for what needs to happen after it happens.
File An Insurance Claim With The Driver's Insurance
The first thing that you'll want to do is file an insurance claim with the responsible driver's insurance company. This is going to be crucial for receiving the majority of your compensation, especially if they are 100% at fault for causing the accident. You need to get this part of the process moving first to start your personal injury claim.
File An Insurance Claim With Your Auto Insurance Company
Since you were on your bicycle, you may assume that your only option to recover damages is to use your health insurance. That is not true, since you can actually use your own auto insurance to file a claim. While you may be hesitant to do this because you do not want your own insurance rates to go up, but if the accident was not your fault, then there shouldn't be an impact.
There are some benefits that you get from using your own auto insurance. If you have uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, you can actually use that to receive compensation from another person with a bad insurance policy. As someone riding on a bicycle, you do not have the same protection that you have when riding in a car, so your injuries are likely to be greater and you'll need to tap into that policy.
Do Not Sign A Medical Release
As the injured party, you want to decide how and when the other insurance company receives your medical records related to the accident. Do not make the mistake of signing a medical release early on in the process. Always discuss any documents you're being asked to sign with a lawyer because you likely do not know the implications that come with signing a document like a medical release.
Do Not Accept The First Offer
You'll likely receive an offer from the responsible driver's insurance company. Know that you do not have to accept the first offer, and the first offer is typically the lowest one that you'll receive during the settlement process. Use this offer as a point to negotiate from, now that you know what the other insurance provider thinks your case is worth on the low end.
Talk to a personal injury lawyer for more information.
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