Enlisting help from a personal injury law firm in Decatur may be necessary if the motor vehicle accident involves a DUI and injuries. Talk to an auto accident compensation attorney now. If you’ve been injured in a DUI motor vehicle accident in which the other driver is at fault, there are some things you need to know when filing your injury claim.
Depending on the severity of your injuries, it may be wise to hire a personal injury law firm. In Decatur, an auto accident compensation attorney possibly can help secure you a better deal.
When the accident involves DUI allegations and resulting injuries, a lawsuit may need to be filed instead of taking an outlined settlement offered by the insurance company. Serious or complicated cases, such as one mired with injuries caused by drunk driving, may need an experienced auto accident compensation attorney who can protect your compensation and sort out fault issues identified in the claim.
The Process of Filing Your Injury Claim
As soon as you are able, call an insurance agent to report the accident. Because the accident was not your fault, it will be the other driver's insurance company you will alert. If the other driver is uninsured, then you should call your auto insurer to start a claim under your uninsured motorist coverage.
During this initial call, the insurance agent probably will advise you how to proceed. You may want to ask what forms or documents you are going to need to support your claim. These may include medical bills and reports as well as auto estimates and repair bills.
To help build your claim, you also may want to gather a copy of the police report and any other evidence you have access to, like names and numbers of witnesses, photographs of the accident, etc.
Following your call, a claims adjuster likely will be assigned to your case. The adjuster is who you will be talking to the most frequently when dealing with your insurance company. It is the insurance adjuster’s job to determine:
• the amount of damages you’ve received as a result of the DUI accident;
• how much you can claim under your policy; and
• present you with a settlement amount.
This figure is an estimate of what the insurance company is willing to pay for your total claim. If you feel uncomfortable with the offer, it’s your option to take some time and discuss your case with a personal injury law firm in Decatur.
Handling Your Accident-related Bills
Keep records of all your accident-related receipts and expenses. The at-fault driver ultimately is financially responsible for any victims' medical and repair bills. However, an insurer will not pay for accident-related expenses until the investigation is over and a complete assessment of your expenses is known.
A DUI motor vehicle accident with injuries is a complex case, and the investigation could last for some time. During this process, you are responsible for your medical bills until your claim has been completed, whether that is through a settlement or lawsuit.
Contact a Personal Injury Law Firm in Decatur
A DUI motor vehicle accident that has left you or someone you know injured may need strong representation to fight for just compensation. After a serious or fatal car accident you and your family may be dealing with the grief of serious injury, loss of a loved one, and financial burdens. During this difficult time it’s easy to get frustrated with your situation – you didn’t deserve to suffer due to the negligence of another!
The personal injury lawyers at The Law Offices of Shane Smith are lawyers who get it; we know the frustration our clients are experiencing when dealing with insurance companies.
Many of our clients don’t know how to hire a lawyer, that’s why we offer 2 FREE guides, I Was Hit By a Drunk Driver: What Do I Do Next? and 10 Mistakes That Can Ruin Your Georgia Wreck Case. Our guides contain valuable information on how to handle filing a claim for serious injuries or wrongful death caused by a negligent driver and how a personal injury lawyer can benefit your claim.
