Filing a Car Accident Claim With Nationwide
News stories about personal injury law firms are usually about lawsuits that went to trial or narrowly avoided trial by the parties agreeing to a large settlement amount. Most of the work that personal injury lawyers do is not nearly so cinematic. They help more clients get enough money to cover their accident-related financial losses just by negotiating with insurance companies such as Nationwide than they do suing reckless drivers in court. You will need to file a claim with Nationwide if it is your insurance carrier or the insurance carrier of the person that caused your accident. Nationwide offers liability insurance and personal injury protection (PIP) coverage to drivers in New Jersey and most other states. For help filing a car accident claim with Nationwide or negotiating for a better settlement on your Nationwide collision claim, contact a wrongful death and personal injury lawyer.
Gathering Evidence at the Scene of the Accident
Much of the success of your car accident insurance claim rests on the evidence that you gather before you contact the insurance company. If you have been in minor accidents where you did not get injured, you might have sat in your car by the side of the road and called the insurance company to open your claim before you even drove away from the scene of the accident. In New Jersey, the statute of limitations for filing a car accident claim is two years. This does not mean that you should drag your feet, but take the time to gather evidence at the scene of the accident instead of immediately picking up your phone and calling the insurance company.
Which evidence should you gather? Take pictures of the vehicle damage. Get a police report if you can, even if you are not sure whether the damage is costly enough to require a police report. If you are injured, or if you are not sure whether you are injured, go to the doctor’s office or hospital emergency room to get examined, because the doctor’s report will be an important piece of evidence in your eventual insurance claim.
Which Insurance Policy Pays for What?
You might need to file more than one insurance claim in connection to the same accident. For vehicle damage, the responsible insurance company is the one that issued the at fault driver’s liability insurance policy. For bodily injuries, you file claims with your auto insurance company for medical and wage loss benefits(PIP)(no-fault insurance), and with the at fault driver’s auto insurance company for damages such as pain and suffering.
A Car Accident Lawyer Can Help You Get a Better Insurance Settlement
Even if you are thorough in presenting the evidence for your car accident claim, the insurance company might offer you an insufficient settlement. By having a lawyer interact with the claims adjusters on your behalf, you can maximize your chances of getting an adequate settlement.
Contact Monaco Law About Car Accident Insurance Claims
Contact Monaco Law PC in Marlton, New Jersey and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to discuss your car accident case. Joseph Monaco is a New Jersey and Pennsylvania wrongful death and personal injury lawyer serving Atlantic County, Bucks County, Burlington County, Cape May County, Camden County, Chester County, Cumberland County, Delaware County, Gloucester County, Mercer County, Middlesex County, Monroe County, Montgomery County, Philadelphia, Ocean County, Salem County, Susquehanna County and all of New Jersey.
Source:
insurify.com/car-insurance/companies/compare/erie-vs-nationwide/
