After a car accident, one step in the recovery process is to determine what happens to your car. If your car is totaled, it means the insurance company responsible has decided it is not worth repairing. If that is where you are at right now, there are several things you need to do to protect your right to compensation with the help of a Newnan car accident lawyer.
Document Everything After the Accident
Before doing anything else, document what occurred. If you have not done so, file a police report over the accident. Take photos of your vehicle and any damage to the surrounding area. Make sure to do this before you turn your vehicle over to anyone else.
Remove all personal items from your vehicle. You may need to document any damaged assets and belongings. You also want to remove personally identifiable information, insurance documents, toll tags, and any other assets from the vehicle.
Contact the Insurance Company
Contact your insurance company to report the accident. You are not filing a claim just yet, but alerting the insurance company to what happened. The insurer may provide you with a loaner vehicle to use until a decision is made. Document any expenses you have in this process.
Get an Estimate
The insurance company will need to agree with you on where to take the vehicle for repairs. Most of the time, repairs happen. However, if the car has too much damage or repairs would be too expensive, the insurer will total the car.
That means they will pay you a lump sum instead of paying for the repairs. Most of the time, that means they will pay the vehicle’s actual cash value. This is the car’s value right before the accident happened.
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- It is not what you owe on the car.
- It is not what you think it is worth.
- And, it is not what you believe you could buy the same car for now.
This is an important factor. If you do not agree with the value presented to you, you can dispute and appeal it.
Negotiate the Value of the Claim
Allowing your insurance company to simply provide a value is not always the best approach. Instead, negotiate with them about the vehicle’s valuation and provide evidence of what made it more valuable. Some examples of why your vehicle’s value may be higher include:
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- Low mileage for its age
- Extra features or enhancements to your car
- Recent repairs to the vehicle
Present all evidence you can to document this. Do not assume the insurance company is providing a fair value.
One Component of Your Claim
Keep in mind that the value of your car is just one component of your claim in most cases. In claims where someone else is at fault, you can often seek compensation for pain and suffering and medical losses you have incurred. You can do this as long as you are no more than 50% at fault under the state’s comparative negligence laws.
In each of these cases, hiring a Newnan car accident attorney can prove to be critical. Your lawyer will work to build the value of your claim in every way possible, helping you get more compensation. Schedule a free consultation with an experienced lawyer today.