If you or anyone you know has been involved in a Wichita Falls car wreck that was caused by the other driver, you can file a claim against the other driver’s insurance company to recover for all your expenses associated with the accident including:
- Past, present, and future medical expenses.
- Lost wages from being forced to take time off work.
- Loss of earning capacity if you can no longer work the same as you did before.
- Loss of enjoyment of life if you can no longer function as you used to.
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage to your vehicle and any items that were damaged inside that vehicle.
There are a number of things you should automatically do after an accident including calling the police to come and make a police report, taking photos of the accident scene, collecting any witness’s information, and going to see a doctor as soon as possible even if you don’t experience any symptoms right away. Because of the adrenaline from being involved in an accident, some injuries don’t show up right away and only show up later on after the adrenaline has worn off. Unfortunately, some insurance companies may use this delay in treatment as a reason to deny or reduce the amount of your compensation.
Handling Property Damage Claims for Wichita Falls Car Wreck
A Wichita Falls car wreck lawyer can help in a variety of ways while you focus on
recovering for your injuries such as collecting evidence to prove your claim, knowing how much money to request for your pain and suffering, and negotiating with the insurance company to get you the maximum amount of compensation possible. In addition to your Wichita Falls personal injury claim, our lawyer can also help you with your property damage claim.
Even if you experience very minimal injuries, you can still file a property damage claim after your Wichita Falls car wreck. However, in this scenario, you aren’t likely to receive any more compensation than the amount to fix your vehicle. In that case, you typically don’t need a lawyer to assist you.
How to File a Property Damage Claim After a Wichita Falls Car Wreck
1. Collect the Police Report.
As mentioned previously, any time you are in a Wichita Falls car wreck, you should call the police to come out and make a report. This evidence will help you to prove to the insurance company that the other person was at fault. To get the accident report, you should be able to go to the website of the agency that investigated the accident.
2. Contact the Insurance Company to File the Claim.
Call the other person’s insurance company and file a claim. Be wary when talking with the other person’s insurance company because they could use anything you say against you. Because of this, we recommend offering no more information than is included on the accident report. If the other driver is uninsured or underinsured, contact your own insurance company and file a claim with them.
You will need to provide the insurance companies with a bill for how much it is going to cost to repair or replace your vehicle. We recommend getting more than one estimate.
Often, the repair shop will work with the insurance company. You just need to provide the repair shop’s information to the insurance company and vice versa.
3. Negotiate and Get Compensation.
Fair compensation should include:
- Repair costs if your vehicle is repairable.
- Fair market value if your vehicle is totaled. This should be based on the value of your vehicle according to Kelley Blue Book, Carfax, etc.
- Loss of use of your vehicle while it is out of commission.
- Diminished value, which is the amount your car was worth before the accident versus what it is worth after the accident. If it ends up being worth less after the accident, you should get the difference in value on top of the repair costs.
Unfortunately, if the insurance company refuses to pay these costs, you may have to get a Wichita Falls car wreck lawyer involved.
Comparative Negligence Can Affect Your Wichita Falls Car Wreck Claim
If you were at fault at all for the Wichita Falls car wreck, the amount of compensation you could receive could be reduced for the percentage of fault you share for the accident. However, if you are 50% or more responsible, you may not be able to recover anything. If this is the case, you may have to rely on your own insurance company.
Contact a Wichita Falls Car Wreck Lawyer
If you or anyone you know has been involved in a Wichita Falls car wreck, contact our Wichita Falls car wreck lawyer today at 940-569-4000 or fill out our contact form to set up a free, confidential, no-obligation consultation. We will give you a free evaluation of your case and offer you helpful information for how to proceed.