Personal Injury Law

Tips for dealing with insurance companies after an accident

By Ryan Bradley, Esq.

After a Missouri car accident, one of the first things you should do is exchange insurance information with others involved in the crash. Dealing with insurance companies is a large part of what happens after an accident.

If someone is injured in a Missouri wreck, the liability coverage of the at-fault driver is used to pay for any medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and disability caused by the accident. In Missouri, the limits on liability insurance coverage are $25,000 for a single injured person or $50,000 for all injured in a single wreck. This means that if someone causes an accident injuring one other person, his liability insurance would cover up to $25,000 of damages. If the accident injured more than one person, the liability coverage would pay up to $50,000 total for everyone that was injured. If the cost of the injuries surpasses the limit, the difference must come from the pocket of the at-fault driver.

While it is the law in Missouri and Illinois that all drivers must have liability insurance, some accidents are still caused by uninsured drivers. To protect those injured in these cases, all insurance policies automatically come with uninsured motorist coverage. If you are injured by an uninsured motorist, you can make a claim against your own insurance company to collect damages to pay your recovery costs.

Uninsured motorist coverage also protects you against hit-and-run drivers, even if you were a pedestrian at the time of the accident.

Unfortunately, sometimes insurance companies put their own bottom line over the health and well being of an injured driver. They will often call you after an accident asking for a statement and they can use that information to limit the damages they pay. For this reason, it is important that you consult a personal injury attorney before speaking to an insurance company after an accident.

If you have more questions about insurance claims after an injury accident, please visit our website for more information.

Full post as published by Missouri Accident Lawyer Blog on September 03, 2008 (boomark / email).