Usually, people are not trained to evaluate accident claims – adjusters are. However, if you are handling your own insurance claim, you must become educated in evaluating such claims or you can easily be taken advantage of and not get the compensation to which you are entitled. Review some guidelines that will help:

Facts
Find out the facts about your accident. Be firm with your story, especially if the other party is saying something different. It will help you to be credible in the adjuster’s eyes.

Liability
Find out whose fault was it. If it was clearly the other driver’s fault, liability probably won’t be an issue. In case it was partially your fault, check out your state’s comparative or contributory negligence laws. There are states, where your partial responsibility for the accident will bar you from recovering any money at all. In other states, you can get a percentage of your damages. Keep in mind: When liability is not clear, or when it is shared, you would be wise to have an attorney, evaluate your case, give you advice, and/or handle the case to its conclusion.

Injuries
If you are injured, document your injuries, treatment, prognosis for recovery, and temporary or permanent disability with copies of medical reports.

Claimed Expenses
Think about what expenses you can claim as a result of the accident. Keep in mind, you will be required to lay out for the adjuster all of your medical expenses, including ambulance, emergency room, hospital, doctor visits, medicines, medical equipment, etc. If you require future medical treatment, get an estimate of future costs from your health care providers.

Car Insurance Claim Evaluating >>