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What to Look Out For When Getting Your Car Repaired

When your car has suffered extensive damage in a car accident, it can be hard to know how you’re going to afford the repairs. While you can sometimes have your repairs covered by the insurance of the at fault driver, this isn’t always a given, leaving you without a car and footing a large repair bill.

Fortunately, even though you might not know it, you have a few options for getting the car repairs you need, including the possibility legal actions. Learn a few tips for getting your car repaired after an accident and find out when you need the help of a knowledgeable car accident attorney.

Fault and Negligence

After most people are in a car accident, they’ll look either to their own insurance coverage or that of the other driver to cover their repair costs. However, getting the settlement that you need can be affected by the insurance laws in the state that you live in.

In no-fault states, your damages will be covered no matter who caused the accident, which can be helpful when you’re faced with large repair bills. On the other hand, a few states are governed by standard liability rules, which means you will have to prove the negligence of the other driver before your damages will be covered.

Before making an insurance claim, you should investigate your state’s insurance rules to see whether you need to prove fault.

Examining How Much Repairs Costs

After determining the insurance rules for your area, it’s time to determine the repair costs themselves. In some cases, the cost of repairing your car will exceed the car’s fair market value. In these cases, your insurance company may declare your car a total loss, opting to give you the market value instead of paying for repairs.

Additionally, most insurance policies have an upper coverage limit, which is the maximum level of payout they’ll give you. This can result in a serious problem if your car repairs are more than the settlement amount. Following any accident, consult your insurance policy to see how much you may get before having to pay for repairs out of pocket.

Seeking an Insurance Settlement

In car accidents, there are usually two types of insurance coverage that may cover your repair cost: Collision and coverage. However, each type of insurance covers a specific type of accident, warranting close examination.

Collision insurance will cover your standard auto accident involving two or more persons. If you were not at fault in your accident, then you would make a claim against the other driver’s collision insurance, and vice versa.

Comprehensive insurance covers all other types of auto accident. If your car was struck while parked, or if you ran off the road accidentally, your comprehensive insurance will cover the damage.

What if I Caused the Accident?

Finally, you might be wondering what you should do if you were at fault in your car accident. As mentioned above, you would typically file a claim against your own insurance, although this isn’t always advisable, particularly if your damages were minor.

Unfortunately, sometimes your insurer will be unwilling to give you a payout if you were at fault in your accident. If you’re having trouble dealing with your insurance company, you should consider hiring a car accident attorney for legal help getting your settlement.

Call a Car Accident Attorney

If you’re struggling to repair your car after a car accident, then you need someone on your side who understand what you’re going through. Hire a car accident attorney from the Parrish DeVaughn Law Firm today to fight for your settlement.
We can help you negotiate with the insurance company so that you can focus on moving on from your accident. Contact us today so that we can get started on your case.