| A personal injury insurance claim can be settle | | | | After you insurance company pays, they will be |
| without anattorney. Make no mistake. In fact, the | | | | reimbursedby the responsible party's insurance |
| great majority of personal injury claimsdo not involve | | | | company but only when you settle. This cantake up |
| attorneys. The reason for this is the high legal fees | | | | to three years, depending on your state's bodily |
| and costthat will be tackled to your settlement. So | | | | injury statute oflimitations. However, your insurance |
| learning the process and handlingyour claim can save | | | | company will not pay for you pain andsuffering and |
| you a bundle and increase your injury compensation. | | | | general damages. You have to settle those by |
| The personal injury insurance claim process starts | | | | yourself. |
| when yougo to the doctor. As soon as a medical | | | | The personal injury insurance claim process will focus |
| professional treats you, you will beconsidered | | | | inyour medical treatment. The insurance carrier will be |
| "injured". When people claim headaches or similar | | | | sending you letter andasking you to report your |
| injuries, theadjuster will not allow payments for pain | | | | medical condition. If they believe that you are |
| and suffering unless they think theycan settle the | | | | overtreating, they will send a letter to your own |
| day you filed the claim. Most of the time, however, | | | | insurance company telling themthat if they pay for |
| there willwant to see some objective evidence of | | | | your medical bills, they will not reimburse them. This is |
| the injury. | | | | atechnique to put pressure on your own insurance |
| Most insurance companies will try to settle the | | | | company to review the medicalrecords and decline |
| personinjury insurance claim (as oppose of your | | | | payment in anything that does not appear to be |
| personal injury "legal" claim) as soonas they think | | | | accidentrelated. |
| they can get a settlement and release form from | | | | Once you feel better, you are back to "pre |
| you. This documentwill be an agreement between | | | | accidentcondition", or you are release from |
| you and the insurance company in which you | | | | treatment, the other person's insurancecompany will |
| agreethat you will not present a legal claim against | | | | be asking you for the medical authorization form |
| the liable party in exchange ofa certain amount of | | | | again. You candeclined to turn it in, but you can |
| money. This agreement will be honored (most of the | | | | collect the medical records yourself, reviewthem, |
| time asit can be disputed) in a court of law. | | | | exclude whichever ones you believe do not help your |
| It is not unusual to find insurance adjusters trying | | | | case, and submit therest (just like a lawyer would |
| tosettle in your first conversation. They can have a | | | | do). Most people will just sign the medicalauthorization |
| recorded agreement on thephone that could have | | | | from, giving the insurance company the right to see |
| the effect of an agreement and release. | | | | every recordin your medical history. |
| If you do not settle, then the personal injury | | | | The next step in a personal injury insurance claim is |
| insuranceclaim will continue. You will follow a | | | | theevaluation process. Once the insurance company |
| treatment schedule and your medical billswill be paid | | | | receives all medical records andreports, they will |
| by your insurance company by your | | | | "compare" your injuries and treatment to similar |
| Personal Injury Protection Coverage. | | | | cases inyour area and find the average jury award. |
| Both insurance companies will send you a Medical | | | | Their first offer is the lowestamount they believe a |
| Authorization From. This form entitles them to ask | | | | jury would award you. You can negotiate that |
| for your medical bills andrecords. You insurance | | | | amount towhat you believe a jury would award you. |
| company will not pay the medical bills until you | | | | Once there is an agreement, the insurance company |
| givethem the form. This is perfectly legal. Courts | | | | will sendyou a settlement of any and all claims form. |
| have ruled that if the insurancecompany is required | | | | Once you returned signed, they willissue you |
| to pay the medical bill, they are entitled to see | | | | payment and the claim will be settled. At that point, |
| thereports. However, you do not have to give this | | | | your insurancecompany will be reimbursed for your |
| Medical Authorization form to theinsurance company | | | | medical bills. |
| of the person that hit you. You can withhold the | | | | Click here for more information about your personal |
| records untilyou are ready to settle. | | | | injury insurance claim. |