The last thing you expected when you got up that morning was to be involved in an accident, but that is how it turned out. While your priority for the moment should be in getting well, you should not neglect your just claim for compensation.
You are convinced that you did everything right and the other driver did everything wrong; that the accident owed to carelessness and an unwillingness to follow the rules of the road. The consequence of such irresponsible behavior has been a severe disruption of your life. The medical bills, the lost wages, the physical pain and suffering, the emotional toll it has had on your family—someone should be made to pay for these losses and it should not be you. As you work through the personal injury process, ensure that you have a dedicated attorney at your side. Reach out to our team for a free, no-obligation consultation!
Don’t Let Them Delay Your Claim!
In the state of Texas, insurance companies have 15 days to approve or deny a claim. They may extend that to 45 days if they have sufficient grounds and a sound explanation for doing so. Fortunately, this means that Texas is rather speedy when it comes to the claims process. The bottom line here is that you should not allow the insurance company that is liable to pay for the injury and damages you have suffered to drag its feet.
Some insurance companies are straight and transparent in the way they deal with claimants; they make it their purpose to deliver quality service to those who have legitimate claims on their capital. Other insurers are not so keen to do the right thing. Dragging their feet and offering delay after delay is a tactic they employ to wear claimants down. Putting up unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles is another such tactic.
Factors that Alter the Length of Your Claim
There are, of course, legitimate cases in which a claim will take a bit longer to file. Although these are not usual, they do occur. Some cases require the patience of the injured and the perseverance of the attorney to investigate and complete the filing process. Consider the following possible disruptions:
The injuries are complex. In some cases, an accident can exacerbate a previous injury or illness. Another complexity would involve a physician wavering on the possible time it will take for the patient to recover. This information will be needed for the claim to be properly outlined.
An unfair settlement from the insurance company. If the insurance company makes a lowball offer or denies the claim outright, a claimant can appeal the decision. This will drag the proceeding out for a longer amount of time.
Other complexities in the case. If there is a complexity or something unusual about your claim, it might reasonably take the insurance company longer. They must, however, follow the turnaround times for a personal injury claim.
Our Team is Here to Help
You need not be discouraged or sidetracked by any of these ploys. Austin personal injury lawyers can work with you from the beginning—before you even file your claim—to ensure you are treated with respect and fairness. Briggle & Polan, PLLC are auto accident lawyers who have helped a great many people who have been in your situation get the compensation they are entitled to from the insurance company.
If you have been in an accident, you will need to speak to law enforcement and submit an auto accident report to them. However, you do not have to and you should not speak to an insurance adjuster or any other representative of the liable company without a lawyer present. Insurance companies will go to great lengths to protect their profits, and if they can get a statement out of you, some confession, some words that can be attributed to you—something that you might have said when you weren’t fully aware of what was going on—then they might be able to delay or deny your claim.
Don’t give them the chance to mess about with what is essentially your money. You should force them to speak through your attorney. At Briggle & Polan, PLLC, we have vast experience and in-depth knowledge in dealing with such matters. If you do not understand the paperwork that the insurance company has sent you, do not worry. Contact our office and we will help you deal with it.
[1].jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)