Insurance providers which offer coverage to Fort Worth drivers include Allstate, Foremost, Farmers, and Merastar, among others. Auto insurance is a required purchase for every Texas driver, with motorists required to buy bodily injury liability insurance coverage and property damage liability coverage. Drivers are supposed to have these policies in case they cause an accident which hurts someone else. Victims harmed in a collision should be able to make a claim against the driver who hurt them, and that driver's insurance should pay to cover the losses.
While car crash victims are supposed to be "made whole," or fully compensated for all of their financial loss and non-economic damages resulting from a crash, insurance companies don't always do what they are supposed to do. Insurers sometimes offer low settlements with the hopes that a crash victim will accept. Insurers may even deny legitimate claims.
If you are injured in an accident and you need to make a claim for compensation, you need an experienced injury attorney that knows what to expect during the process so you receive the compensation you actually deserve.
Negotiating with insurance companies can be challenging, your attorney should:
- Know what your damages are. You need to understand the extent of your loss to know what your claim is worth. You should be compensated for medical bills you've paid, expected future medical treatment expenditures, wage loss benefits, pain, and other economic and non-financial damages.
- Send a demand letter. Let the insurance company know the amount of money you expect to receive. This can get negotiations started on damages with a dollar amount you believe is reasonable.
- Be ready to counter. An insurer who receives your demand letter is likely going to have its adjuster make you a lower offer. Be ready to counter and provide reasons why you deserve more compensation. You can negotiate back and forth until you come to a dollar amount you are comfortable with.
- Wait to sign until you've had your settlement offer reviewed. Accepting a settlement means signing a waiver of liability. Don't do this, and permanently give up your right to file a lawsuit, unless your attorney advises you to do so.
If you were at fault for your own accident, you may not be able to make a claim, unless you have purchased additional optional coverage. If the driver who hurt you had no insurance or insufficient coverage, you'll have to turn to your own insurer through an uninsured or underinsured motorist policy if you purchased one. Otherwise, you need to be ready to negotiate effectively with the other driver's insurer. Let an attorney provide the help you need to negotiate effectively.