When you get into an auto accident, the last thing you want to think about is dealing with your insurance company. Whether you get into a fender-bender on the I-15 outside of Provo, Utah or somebody sideswipes you in the Harmons parking lot, wading through all that insurance minutiae is probably not your idea of fun. Luckily, our lawyer team at Robert J. DeBry & Associates is here to help.
Calling Your Own Insurance Company
When you’re debating whether to call your own insurance company or leave it up to the other party in an auto accident, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Calling your own insurance company ensures that somebody reports the accident — if you leave it up to the other person, there’s no guarantee he or she will follow through. However, if you’ve exchanged insurance information with the other party, you can always contact the other party’s insurance company and report the claim yourself — no lawyer necessary.
Another benefit to contacting your insurance company is that the process will likely be smoother. As a loyal paying customer, your insurance company has an incentive to give you good service; the other party’s insurance company does not. In addition, if your insurance policy includes optional coverage such as towing, emergency road service around Provo or rental car reimbursement, contacting your own insurance company could end up being much more convenient for you in the long run.
The last benefit to calling your own insurance company after your auto accident near Provo has to do with liability coverage. As any lawyer will tell you, different people have different liability insurance policies — and if you or the other parties are injured in an accident, these liability coverage amounts are important. For instance, if the other party is at fault but their insurance does not cover the extent of your injuries, your underinsured motorist coverage could cover the rest. In the event that you need to sue your own insurance company in order to receive these benefits, however, you should contact your local auto accident lawyer in Provo for assistance.
Any reasons not to contact your insurance company? There’s really only one: After you contact your insurance company, you could lose your entire deductible — and there’s no guarantee you’ll get it back. However, in the grand scheme of things it’s probably best if you contact your insurance company anyway.
Calling the Other Party’s Insurance Company
Many people think that if the other party was responsible for the auto accident, they do not need to report the accident to their own insurance company. However, this is not the case — in fact, according to most people’s auto insurance policies, the policy-holder has a duty to report all claims to their insurance company, regardless of fault.
While you should always report an auto accident to your insurance company, there are some benefits to filing a claim through the other party’s insurance. If you are injured in an accident and rack up some sizeable bills at the hospital in Provo, you may want to file a claim through the other party’s insurance. Assuming the other party’s bodily injury liability coverage is greater than your own personal injury protection coverage, you could stand to receive more money through the other party’s insurance company than your own. However, always speak to a personal injury lawyer beforehand to help guide you through this process.
Navigating through the red tape of insurance coverage after an auto accident is never easy; that’s why Robert J. DeBry & Associates is here to help. If you or someone you know has been injured in an accident, contact your local Provo-area lawyer specialists today — and get the compensation you deserve.