If you’ve been involved in a car accident that was caused by someone else, you know how important it is to file a claim with the negligent driver’s insurance company. Under California law, the entity responsible for the accident is liable for your injuries and the losses associated with your accident. Sometimes, the responsible party is an individual, like an intoxicated or careless driver. At other times, a company or government entity may be liable for the accident.
If you’ve already initiated a claim with the other driver’s insurance provider, you should have an adjuster that’s assigned to your case. The insurance adjuster serves as the communication link between you and the company. They are responsible for assisting you with the claims process and determining how much you should receive in monetary damages. However, this can only be accomplished if the insurance adjuster takes your calls and provides you with timely responses.
Why Won’t They Return my Calls?
Unfortunately, many auto accident victims in California find themselves asking:
- My insurance adjuster for my car accident claim is not returning my calls. What can I do?
- The insurance company isn’t responding to my emails. What are my rights?
This is an unnecessary source of stress when you are already dealing with the ramifications of a serious accident. All you are looking for is an update about your claim, or at the very least, reassurance that things are being handled in a professional manner. Why is it so hard to get a response from the person that’s handling your claim?
What usually happens is that you’ll get a call right away when you first file the claim. After that, it’s very common for an insurance adjuster to go silent, and for days and weeks to go by with no answers. Of course, being up to their necks with injury claims a big part of the problem. But the insurance industry is inherently a system that’s based on profits. To that end, these companies are looking for ways to cut their losses, which include slowing down the claims process. In the next section, we will talk more about the strategies used by car insurance companies in order to deny you payment on an accident claim.
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Why the Insurance Adjuster is not Getting Back to You
As we’ve mentioned before, money is the primary motivation for any corporation, including providers of auto insurance. This is a problem, as it causes conflicts between the interests of the company versus what’s fair for the accident victim. In essence, the insurance adjuster is an adversary and not an ally, no matter how much they try to convince you otherwise.
This is the main reason why an adjuster will ignore your calls and emails for long periods of time. Doing so makes the claimant more and more desperate, therefore, willing to settle for whatever they can get. That’s why most injury victims end up with payments that are way lower than what they actually deserve. And once you agree to their offer, the case is closed and there is nothing you can do to cover your remaining losses.
Why You Should Hire a Car Accident Attorney
Another point to keep in mind is that the insurance company has a lot of leverage when it comes to an accident claim. They can get away delay tactics because the burden is on you to prove that they are intentionally playing games in order to deny you payment. To cover their backs, they may send you a message now and then to say that your claim is still being investigated, and it’s up to you to show that this is not the case.
After a while, the financial constraints of mounting medical bills, lost wages, etc., can drive the victim to accept the insurance company’s offer. So, how do you deal with a situation where the insurance adjuster is not getting back to you about your claim?
An insurance bad faith lawyer is the best way to deal with an insurance company if you’ve been in a car accident. Here at Normandie, we have experienced car accident lawyers that routinely work with insurance adjusters from all major insurance providers, including:
- Nationwide
- Liberty Mutual
- Progressive
- Geico
- Travelers
- Allstate
- State Farm
- Farmer’s Insurance
- Amica Mutual
- The Hartford
- American Family Insurance
- Erie Insurance
- Auto-Owners Insurance
- MetLife
- Kemper
- Mercury General
- National General Insurance
- COUNTRY Financial
- USAA
Our car accident attorneys have a proven track record of negotiating the highest possible settlement on behalf of injury victims and their family members. You can count on us to fight aggressively on your behalf, and if necessary, take your case to trial and secure the payment you deserve through a jury verdict. Please give us a call to schedule a free case evaluation with one of our legal experts.
Frequently Asked Questions about Car Accident Claims
How long do I have to file an auto accident injury claim?
To receive compensation as a car accident injury victim, you must file a claim within two years from the date of your accident. Of course, it’s best to contact a lawyer immediately, who can take charge of the claims process and ensure that you are not taken advantage of by the insurance company. This is the best way to avoid ignored phone calls and other stall tactics by insurance adjusters, who are less likely to play games with an experienced law firm.
Please be aware that missing the statute of limitations for your case will have serious consequences. There are very few exceptions to the two-year deadline for an auto accident lawsuit. That means if you wait too long to act on a claim, your right to sue the at-fault party will most likely be invalidated.
What is the estimated payment I can receive if I was injured in a car accident?
Every claim involves unique circumstances that have to do with the accident and the injuries inflicted upon the victim. Thus, it’s impossible to provide you with an estimate case value until we know the specific details of your accident. Car accidents, however, are associated with serious injuries to many parts of your body. In addition, car crashes can be very traumatic events that result in psychological damage, such as nightmares, insomnia, panic attacks, anxiety, and depression. As a result, many of the cases that are settled by our attorneys are worth around $250,000 to $2,500,000 and above.
For a more accurate assessment of how much your auto accident injury case is worth, please reach out to us for a free consultation.
Is there an average time frame for how long it takes to settle a car accident lawsuit?
These cases can take anywhere from a few weeks to over two years, which is due to a variety of legal issues that can come up throughout the claims process. Some of this may be due to stall tactics by the insurance company, but there are legitimate reasons as to why it takes an insurance adjuster 3 weeks or longer to respond to us. These companies, after all, are dealing with a huge volume of cases at one time. In addition, all offers and counteroffers are carefully considered and put into writing, and that also adds to the amount of time to settle a car accident compensation claim.
To learn more about the process of settling an auto accident case, contact us to speak with one of our attorneys.
If I filed a lawsuit already, am I stuck with my lawyer?
If you are unhappy with the lawyer that is currently representing you, there is nothing to keep you from staying with them. California law allows you to fire your attorney and start fresh with a new law firm, no matter how far along you are in the lawsuit process. Of course, you should always discuss the problems you are having and your available legal options with another attorney to make sure that you are making the right choice. We provide free second opinion just for this purpose, which you can schedule by contacting us at our office.
Speak to a Los Angeles Car Accident Lawyer
Having someone on your side is crucial when you are in the process of seeking payment from a car insurance company. Ultimately, the decision to hire an attorney for your case is completely up to you. But why not take the chance of meeting with us for a free case evaluation? After all, there’s no loss to you for taking the time to learn about your rights and legal options.
We also provide all accident victims with free legal services under the Zero Fee Guarantee. This is a contingency fee agreement, meaning we only accept payment by winning your case and receiving our fees directly from the defendant. That means you walk away with no responsibility for any of our costs in the event we don’t win your case.
Our law firm is here to answer your questions and help you achieve justice if you were injured in a car accident. Contact us right away to schedule a free case review.
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