Five Factors That Affect Your Car Accident Coverage

A car accident can rack up a lot of expenses in property damages and medical costs if you are injured. Getting your life back on track afterward doesn’t just mean recovering from your injury, but recovering from any financial losses you have suffered because of the accident. Every situation is different, and the amount you receive in compensation for your accident depends on these five factors.

Insurance Policies

While hopefully all drivers in an accident are covered, not all of them may be covered the same way. Those with minimum coverage may only be able to pay up to a certain amount in damages and injury costs. This matters significantly if the other driver caused the accident. Though you may win a claim with their insurance, it may not be worth your time because they don’t have enough coverage to pay you rightful reparations. The same goes for uninsured drivers.

Liability 

Proving who is liable is a key factor in car accident claims that can get muddied very quickly. Insurance companies have been known to fight over proof of which driver was actually at fault in an attempt to avoid payouts. Being unable to prove your own innocence could cut your compensation benefits quite a bit. That said, many states have different types of fault laws, some that allow you to receive compensation even if you were partially at fault for the accident. Check your state laws to see how your claim may be impacted by liability.

Extent of the Injury

Your injury matters in terms of compensation costs. Keeping record of all doctor visits, medical tests, emergency fees, and anything else medical-related is essential in proving just how much the accident has dipped into your wallet. The greater your injury, the more expensive and the more money you can get. Just be warned that the more your claim is worth, the more the insurance company will fight you on it.

Property Damage

Damage to any property in the accident can also be claimed. Like medical expenses, property has an exact dollar amount attached to repairs. You can prove exactly how much your property damage is worth simply by presenting the repair bill.

Pain and Suffering

Pain and suffering are a huge part of any injury, but because they have no fiscal value, they can be challenging to get compensated for. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try, especially if you have been mentally affected by your injury.