Why is the Insurance Adjuster Calling after a Pennsylvania Car Accident?
If you have been injured in a car accident in Pennsylvania that was caused by the other driver’s negligence, it’s almost certain that the car insurance adjuster for the other driver will call you. Why is the insurance adjuster calling after a Pennsylvania car accident? Because the car insurance company knows they are legally obligated to make up for the injuries and damages caused by their driver. The insurance company adjuster will telephone, write you letters and might even show up at your home because the insurance company wants to close your injury claim and do so for as little money as possible.
A few quesstions arise: Do you have to talk to the adjuster? Should you talk to the adjuster? What should you do?
Do You Have to Talk to the Insurance Adjuster after a Pennsylvania Car Accident?
The answer is No, you have no obligation to talk to the insurance adjuster for the other driver after a car collision in Pennsylvania. You do have to talk to the adjuster for your insurance company, but not the other insurance company.
Should you Talk to the Insurance Adjuster?
Again, the answer is No, you should not talk to the insurance adjuster for the other insurance company after a Pennsylvania car accident.
A car accident case can be compared to a criminal situation. If you are arrested for a crime or questioned by police, you have no obligation to talk to them AND you should not without getting the advice of a lawyer. The police want to convict someone of the crime. They are not primarily concerned with your legal rights.
It’s the same after a car accident. Anything the insurance company does they do to protect their driver, not you. In fact, the job of the adjuster is to get the claim closed as quickly and inexpensively as possible. The adjuster wants to take your statement to see if there is any way to blame the collision on you or to minimize your injuries and damages or argue that they were caused by something other than the car accident. Because of this, it is not wise to talk to the car insurance adjuster after a Pennsylvania car accident.
What Should You Do After a Car Accident?
What you should do after a Pennsylvania car accident is hire an experienced car accident lawyer as soon as possible after a car accident in Pennsylvania. A car accident lawyer will take over all communication with the insurance company and make sure that you are properly represented. An experienced car accident lawyer will do everything possible to make sure that you are fully and fairly compensated for your injuries and losses, like medical bills, lost wages and compensation for pain and suffering.
Pennsylvania Car Accident Lawyer
Tim Rayne is a Pennsylvania Car Accident Lawyer who helps injured victims of Pennsylvania car accidents receive fair treatment from car insurance companies. For over 20 years, Tim has been fighting with all of the major car insurance companies: Allstate, State Farm, Nationwide, Progressive, GEICO, USAA, Travelers and many others. For a Free Consultation after a Pennsylvania car accident, contact Tim at 610 840 0124 or trayne@macelree.com. Tim has offices in Kennett Square and West Chester Pennsylania.
As a Pennsylvania Personal Injury Lawyer representing Car Accident victims inside and outside of Chester County, one of the most common questions I hear is “How much compensation am I entitled to because of the injuries from my car accident?” The answer is, it depends.
First, in order to have a valid legal claim for Negligence after a Pennsylvania Car Accident, we need to prove that the other party caused the accident and you sustained injuries and damages in the collision. Assuming that both can be proven, then the amount of compensation you are entitled to depends on the severity of your injuries and damages and how they impact your life.
Under Pennsylvania law, a car accident victim is entitled to fair compensation to make up for every way in which the collision negatively impacted their life. Elements of compensation include past and future medical bills, lost wages and other out-of-pocket expenses as well as non-economic damages which fall under several categories, including physical and emotional pain and suffering, embarrassment and humiliation, scarring and disfigurement and loss of life’s pleasures (which is the negative impact that the accident has on your life and acitivities.)
In a car accident insurance claim, a Car Accident Attorney will attempt to negotiate a favorable settlement for the client, obtaining an offer of as much compensation as is possible given the injuries and damages sustained by the client. If a fair and reasonable settlement cannot be negotiated, a Lawsuit will need to be filed.
A Lawsuit can also lead to a settlement or can result in a Trial at which a Jury will reach a Verdict deciding what is fair compensation. An experienced Car Accident Attorney will use the testimony of the injured party, family, friends, medical providers and other witnesses to tell the story of the case to the Jury to maximize the Verdict.
For more information on how to value a Pennsylvania Car Accident Case or get fair treatment from the insurance companies after a Pennsylvania Car Crash, contact Chester County Car Accident Attorney Tim Rayne at 610 840 0124 or trayne@macelree.com or check out his website at https://timraynelaw.com. Tim has Chester County Pennsylvania law offices in West Chester and Kennett Square. Tim is Board Certified in Trial Advocacy and has been named a Top 100 Lawyer in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania by Super Lawyers Magazine.
There are 3 things you should do as soon as possible after being injured in a Pennsylvania car accident: Seek Medical Attention, Contact Your Car Insurance Company and Consult with an Experienced Car Accident Lawyer.
Seek Medical Attention –
Even if you think you only have minor injuries, it’s wise to get checked out at the Emergency Room, your Family Doctor or an Urgent Care Center as soon as possible after a car crash. Your car insurance will pay for the visit with no co-pay or deductible.
Contact Your Car Insurance Company –
It’s important that you notify your Car Insurance Company immediately after the accident. They will help get your car fixed, set up a claim for your medical bills and advise you as to whether you have lost wage coverage on your car insurance policy.
Consult with an Experienced Car Accident Attorney –
Finally, you should consult with an Experienced Pennsylvania Car Accident Lawyer as soon as possible after being injured in a car crash. You should get advice on your legal rights and what you should and should not do. You should learn about your rights to compensation before talking to or dealing with the insurance adjuster for the other driver. An Experienced Pennsylvania Car Accident Attorney will provide you with valuable advice and guidance to protect you and your family.
Tim Rayne is a Pennsylvania Car Accident and Personal Injury Attorney with the Chester County law Firm MacElree Harvey, Ltd. For over 20 years Tim has been helping Pennsylvania Car Accident Victims understand their legal rights and recieve fair compensation from insurance companies. Tim has offices in Kennett Square and West Chester but also meets clients in their homes or other convenient locations and offers Free Consultations. Contact Tim at 610 840 0124 or trayne@macelree.com or check out his website at https://timraynelaw.com.
When you buy car insurance in Pennsylvania, you have to choose Full Tort or Limited Tort. Full Tort is more expensive coverage but preserves your Full Legal Rights to Compensation after a car accident caused by someone else. Limited Tort is cheaper coverage, but it limits your Legal Rights to Compensation.
Generally, with Limited Tort, your legal rights to compensation are limited to Economic Damages and no compensation (with certain exceptions) is available for Non-Economic damages like Pain and Suffering.
However, in certain cases, it’s irrelevant whether you were covered by Limited Tort and you still have your Full Legal Rights to Compensation even though you chose Limited Tort on your Pennsylvania Car Insurance.
Here is a list of circumstances under which you have Full Tort rights even with a Limited Tort insurance policy:
* If you were injured as a pedestrian or as an occupant of a vehicle of something other than a private passenger vehicle like a heavy truck, taxi or bus;
* If you were injured by someone who later is convicted of or pleads guilty to driving under the influence;
*If you were injured by someone driving an out-of-state vehicle;
*If you were injured by an uninsured driver;
*If the person who caused the crash intended to injure you or himself;
*If you suffered an injury resulting in death, serious impairment of a body function or permanent serious disfigurement.
In all of the above situations, a person covered by Limited Tort still has Full Legal Rights to Compensation. Nevertheless, to protect your Full Legal Rights in all situations, you should always choose Full Tort, not Limited Tort.
Tim Rayne is a Pennsylvania Car Accident and Personal Injury Attorney who helps Pennsylvania car accident victims receive fair compensation from injurance companies either through settlement of their car accident claim or a verdict at trial. Tim has law offices and advises Personal Injury and Car Accident victims in Kennett Square and West Chester, Pennsylvania. Contact Tim Rayne at 610 840 0124 or trayne@macelree.com or check out his website at https://timraynelaw.com.
Super Lawyers, in conjuction with Philadelphia Magazine, has released it’s Top 100 Lawyer Lists for Pennsylvania and Philadlephia and, for the third time in four years, MacElree Harvey Personal Injury and Car Accident Attorney Tim Rayne has made the list.
Super Lawyers uses a Four Step Process to create a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of outstanding attorneys including: Peer Nominations, Evaluation of the Candidate Pool, Blue Ribbon Panel Review and Final Selction.
No more than 5% of all attorneys are selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers.
Tim is proud to have been included both in Super Lawyers and in the Top 100 for Philadelphia and Pennsylvania in 2012, 2014 and 2015.
Tim Rayne is a Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyer based in Chester County with offices in Kennett Square and West Chester, Pennsylvania. To get advice regarding your accident case or insurance claim contact Tim at 610 840 0124 or trayne@macelree.com or check out Tim’s website at https://timraynelaw.com.
Pennsylvania Personal Injury Attorney Tim Rayne has launched a new Car Accident and Personal Injury Website at https://timraynelaw.com.
The site has a brand new design, Free Consumer Guides, educational articles and videos and answers to Frequently Asked Questions.
Tim Rayne is a Pennsylvania Car Accident and Personal Injury Attorney with law offices in Kennett Square and West Chester Pennsylvania. Contact Tim at 610 840 0124 or trayne@macelree.com.
