Filiing an Auto Insurance Claim in California?
Making a claim for auto insurance in California often involves the big fish in claims terms of injuries related to the car accident. When you receive an injury as the result of an auto accident, it is in your best interest to contact a car accident lawyer. Injury claims are very high stakes and complicated, and while I can give you an idea of them so that you don’t go into your claim for auto insurance in California completely ignorant, you would do better if you had an attorney to help you on the issue.
These attorneys are good for a variety of things. Not only are they able to aid you in getting the health care that you deserve and need after your accident, but they can also make sure that you have the right documentation for all of your bills and other damages. Doing this, they are better able to prove to the company for auto insurance in California that you indeed do have the right to money for your injuries.
You cannot simply choose any lawyer for auto insurance in California, though. First of all, you need an attorney who is experienced on the matters. Hiring a general attorney at law who also dabbles in car accident claims will not cut it. It is best to either get an attorney who only works for victims of car accidents, or one who has does significant work in the area. When choosing a lawyer to help you with your claim for auto insurance in California, consider also what percentage of his cases he has one and how high the damages paid were for each of those cases.
Whenever you get into a car accident, it is possible that your company for auto insurance in California owes you money for several things, from lost wages to any kind of permanent physical therapy that you might need as a result, to something as unquantifiable as pain and suffering. To make sure that you get this, hire a car insurance accident lawyer.
Who Gets Paid From The Insurance Company During a Claim?
Reader question:
When I get into an accident, who does the car insurance company send my claim check to?
Gabby
Great question, Gabby.
There are two types of payments that you might get, depending on your situation when you file for a claim with your car insurance company. The first type is the first party claim, and the second would be the third party claim. Let’s look at what the two entail.
- First party claim.
After you get into accident that is your fault and have to file a collision coverage claim with your car insurance company, the company will pay for the damages after you have paid your deductible first. In a claim like this, the insurance company you have your policy with gets to decide who to write the check to. In some cases, they will write it directly to you and you will then pick a repair shop to which you will pay the money for having fixed your car. Another insurance company might make the check out to the repair shop as well as you, so you don’t have much choice of what to do with it.
Don’t get annoyed if they make it out to the repair shop, too. They do that to get rid of car insurance fraud.
Sometimes, you won’t get a check at all. About a week ago we had to file a claim with another driver’s company, and we had our car fixed with the insurance company ‘s own repair shop. Never saw a thing.
- Third party claim.
Normally, if you were in our situation (someone crashed into you), then the claim you make with the other person’s insurance company will be much more simple. Since you never signed on to a policy with that insurance company, they can’t tell you where to go. Unless you choose to go to the car repair shop of their choice, then they will send you the claim check.
If you get your car completely wrecked, though, you will have to talk with the place your paying your loan off with if you’re still buying your vehicle.
Cheers,
Fashun Guadarrama.
How Can You Protect Yourself Against Auto Insurance Fraud?
Reader question:
What can I do to prevent auto insurance fraud, aside from paying attention to my repairs and invoice?
Monica
Thank you for asking, Monica.
There are more ways than one to commit auto insurance fraud, so you should be on the look out even when you aren’t filing an insurance claim. Fraud can start at the stop sign, and attention to detail is one of the best traits that will not only help you in preventing fraud, but also aid you in allowing you to be safer against car insurance accidents.
- Salvaged titles.
There have been a lot of problems recently in the insurance biz with salvage yards selling previously totaled cars without a salvage title. A salvage title is required for a vehicle that has been completely wrecked, because not only do these vehicles lose a lot of value, but they also have a lot of problems in the future. If you get a vehicle that is salvaged but does not have the proper title, you will probably be far overcharged for your auto insurance.
- Repair shops.
I went into detail about this already, so I won’t go on too long. However, often repair shops will commit auto insurance fraud by repairing and replacing things that do not need to be replaced and inflating prices. If you shop around for car repair shops and check your invoice, you can avoid a lot of this.
- Initiated accident frauds.
Another big problem that may be of danger for you is when another car will instigate you to get into an accident with them which will technically be your fault, but which wouldn’t have happened if they hadn’t tried to make it happen. For example, if you are at a four way stop sign and the other car waves for you to go ahead, and once you start going they go anyway, it will seem to be your fault because you do not have the right away.
In order to avoid these incidents, you should practice defensive driving. You need to drive at least three seconds of distance behind the car in front of you, five seconds if the weather is bad or the road is icy. Try taking a defensive driving class.
Cheers,
Fashun Guadarrama.
How To Get Cheaper Car Insurance For Your Teenager
Car insurance premiums aren’t cheap, and even less when you add your new driver teenager to your policy. This is why you need to make the most of this new addition, pay attention to discounts, and encourage responsible behavior so that you can avoid future accidents. Car accidents are the number one cause of death among teenagers, and they often involve alcohol in the mix. Here are a few steps to follow to keep your teen safe on the road and, as a result, keep your car insurance premium cheaper.
- Pick the right car.
Every teen wants a sports car, a convertible, a big truck, whatever, but that doesn’t mean they should get one. I’m saying this even if you’re rich and have the money, and even if your teen has a job and can pay the monthly car note. When I was working my first job, one of my co workers was 16 and had just started buying a car from his dad. It was a big truck, and a new one, but all of his check went to it, almost. Guess what happened the first night he drove that car?
He crashed it. Yep, and then they had to file an insurance claim. I want you to think about the fact that kids are more likely to wreck cars, so you don’t want to spend too much money on them. Also, flashy cars are more encouraging of irresponsible behavior. On top of all that, the more expensive and dangerous the car, the higher your insurance premium will be.
- Share the burden.
Your kid is the one that’s making your insurance premium so high, so why shouldn’t they contribute? You can get them to do this by requiring them to pay part of the premium with proceeds from their job, or by having them do extra chores around the house. Whatever works for you.
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