February 10, 2022 | Car Accident,Insurance Bad Faith
If you have been involved in a vehicle accident and you use State Farm Insurance, then you need to know how to file a claim. Recovering compensation after an accident occurs is crucial, but filing a claim with an insurance carrier can be a complex process. It is important to understand that insurance carriers like State Farm are not necessarily on your side, but if you follow the appropriate steps, your chances of recovering compensation increase.
In order to protect your right to recover compensation after a vehicle accident occurs, you need to follow certain steps. Insurance carriers are going to watch you very closely, particularly if you have significant injury claims or substantial property damage.
The number one step that you need to take is seeking medical treatment. If you delay a trip to the hospital after a car accident, this could give the insurance carrier a reason to deny your claim altogether. The insurance claims adjuster from State Farm assigned to your case could argue that delaying care either exasperated or injuries or that your injuries were caused by something other than the vehicle accident.
We also encourage you to gather as much evidence as possible. You may be able to do this at the scene of the crash. If you can use your cell phone to take photographs or video of the entire scene, including damages, causes of the crash, debris and skid marks, and more, this will be valuable evidence State Farm can use to process your claim. Additionally, if there were any eyewitnesses to the collision, you need to get their names and contact information and make sure the State Farm claims adjuster contacts them.
It is important to file your insurance claim with State Farm as quickly as possible. Even though State Farm does not specify a specific deadline for filing a vehicle accident claim, the language in their policy does read that you should file your initial report as soon as possible after the incident occurs. This usually means within a day or two after the incident occurs.
There are various ways that you can file have an insurance claim with State Farm:
If you delay filing a claim with State Farm, this could give the claims adjusters a reason to deny your claim or at least significantly delay compensation payment. You may need to consult with a skilled auto accident lawyer in Martinsburg as soon as possible to ensure that you are treated fairly by all parties involved.
When you get on the phone with a State Farm claims adjuster or an adjuster from any other insurance carrier, it is crucial that you not admit fault for the incident. Do not make any guesses or speculate as to how the accident happened. We encourage you to stick to the facts as you know them. Additionally, do not give any new information that you have not already said in the accident report or to others involved in the case. Do not alter any earlier statements you have made unless absolutely necessary, and even then, we encourage you to work with an attorney when doing so. Giving State Farm too much information about your crash could lead to them saying that you were partially responsible, which can limit how much compensation you receive.
