Many people are looking for a quick answer about the value of their personal injury case after an accident. As a result there are online forms you can complete that allege they can tell you what your case is worth with just a few pieces of information. Some lawyers will even tell prospective clients that they can help them get $1 million dollars without knowing anything or very little about the case. If you think these case values are bogus, it’s because they are. These methods are employed to get people through the door and to sign on the dotted line. Such an approach inevitably leads to anger and frustration when the final settlement falls far short of the accident’ victim’s expectations.
The truth is that the value of a case is dependent on a variety of factors like how much you have in medical expenses, your injuries, the types of treatment you received, how long your treatment lasted, how much you had in property damage, wage loss, loss of earning capacity, the impact on your life, whether you need future care, etc.. But mostly, the value of a case is based on what a jury would do with the specific facts of the case.
Because of this, we are constantly looking at the verdicts and awards coming out of trials and arbitrations to help us predict what a jury would do. At True North Injury Law, we won’t even start talking about what a potential range of value might look like until we have sufficient information to have an honest conversation.
If you find yourself in a conversation with a lawyer making promises about specific dollar amounts, do yourself a favor and find a lawyer who is going to tell you the truth.
If you have questions about your specific case and want to have an honest conversation with one of our experienced Utah personal injury attorneys, please call us at 801-849-3664 to schedule a free consultation.
What do we mean when we say property damage? We’re talking about the damage to your car. After an accident, many people need to figure out how to get their car fixed or replaced as fast as possible. You typically have two options: (1) run the property damage through the at-fault auto insurance, or (2) run the property damage through your own auto insurance. There are pros and cons to each option.
The most common instinct accident victims have is to run their property damage through the at-fault auto insurance company. They figure that they are not at-fault for the collision, so the person that was should take care of this. That thinking is not wrong. The downside is that it can take a long time to have the at-fault auto insurance do what needs to be done.
The insurance administrative code gives the insurance company 30 days to complete their investigation. R590-190-10(2). However, if they need more time, they pretty much just have to inform you. So, people often call me feeling like the insurance company is not taking them seriously and that they are getting the runaround. This happens because the law does not put a firm time frame in place for property damage claims to be completed.
The upsides are that you don’t have to pay your deductible. While the insurance company is repairing your vehicle or until a reasonable settlement offer has been made for a total loss vehicle, the insurance company should provide you with a rental car or reimburse you for the cost of a rental car. R590-190-11(9).
If you are not in a hurry, running the property damage claim through the at-fault auto insurance is a great option.
Many accident victims hesitate to run their property damage through their own auto insurance because they have to pay the deductible and they don’t want a claim on their record that would increase their premium. While, paying the deductible is definitely the downside. The upsides are:
(1) The repair or payout takes place a lot faster;
(2) Your auto insurance company cannot increase your premium for an accident that wasn’t your fault (See UCA 31A-19a-212); and
(3) Your auto insurance company will go after the at-fault auto insurance company to get the money they expended on your behalf back. When they get it, your auto insurance will reimburse your deductible back to you.
One other possible downside is getting a rental vehicle. If you do not pay for rental car coverage on your policy, you will not have a rental car available to you.
So, if you don’t have a lot of time to wait for your vehicle to be repaired or to get a new car, running the property damage claim through your own auto insurance can definitely be a great option.
If you have questions about your specific case, call expert Utah personal injury attorney, Jake Lee, at 801-849-3664 today to schedule your free consultation and get your questions answered.
