Car accidents happen in Los Angeles all the time. If you consider this, you can probably imagine why. It’s because the city has many, many drivers. Some people take buses and get around that way, but most drive, and the freeways see regular fender benders and multiple-car pile-ups.
If you get in an LA car accident, you may wonder whether you can get a settlement check. You can, provided you can prove the other driver caused the accident.
You may not know much about these settlement checks or how they work. We’ll talk about that in detail right now. Keep reading as we discuss a few LA car accident settlement check facts.
Claim Adjusters Handle These Claims and the Resulting Checks
Let’s say that someone hit your car in LA. You feel certain they caused the accident, and you can prove that. They don’t disagree about the accident’s details, either.
If you want money after that wreck, you must contact the other driver’s insurance company. You can tell them what happened. At that point, they will assign your case to a claim adjuster.
Claim adjusters calculate how much their insurance company should pay you. At that point, you should get your money, though you must also consider common reasons for delays in receiving a settlement check.
Common Reasons Why You’ll Experience a Check’s Delay Exist
If you don’t get your check immediately, you may wonder about its location. You should contact the other driver’s insurance company and ask about it.
They might say they need more time because they disagree about the accident’s cause. Maybe they also feel like you received overpriced medical treatment. They may feel you had some preexisting conditions, so they should not pay you money for those injuries.
You Might Get Less Money if the Insurance Company Feels You Share the Blame
The insurance company can also reduce the check’s amount if they say you share some blame. Not every state has this policy, but California does.
If the insurance company says you caused 30% of the accident, for instance, they will only give you a check that covers the remaining 70% the other driver caused. If you don’t agree, you can always hire a lawyer.
If you feel like that’s too much trouble, you might just accept the check and move on with your life. It depends on whether you’re feeling particularly litigious.
You May See Check Delays in Thirty-Day Increments
Some insurance companies will drag their feet
when paying you. They know you probably need that check badly, and they can legally mail you a letter explaining why they haven’t sent it.
If they keep investigating your claim, they can take additional thirty-day increments for doing that. If an insurance company keeps extending the investigation by an additional thirty days, you might hire a lawyer.
When you bring in your own personal injury attorney, you can pressure the company. They might send the check or at least make an offer faster if you do.
You Should Get the Check-in Thirty Days if You Settle
If the other driver’s insurance company contacts you
and says they’ve concluded their investigation, they will quote you a settlement amount. They will say they’ll send you a check for that amount unless you have any objections. If you object, you must pursue the matter expediently in court.
If you agree you will settle, you should get that check in the mail within thirty days. That is how long California gives the other driver’s insurance company in these instances.
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