Contacting Insurance After an Accident in DC

People should always make contact with their insurance company as soon after a collision as possible. If they are not able, then a loved one should reach out to the insurance or a personal injury attorney so they might do it for the injured party. If the insurance company is not informed soon after the accident, there may be negative consequences.

When an insurance carrier is contacted about notice of the claim, an insurance company begins its investigation almost immediately. For this reason, it is important the injured individual retains the services of an attorney to make contact with all of the required insurance companies. The attorney can open the appropriate claims to ensure the injured person receives all the insurance coverage to which they are entitled.

Not Reporting an Accident

If an incident is not reported to an insurance company in a timely manner, there is a possibility the insurance company can deny insurance coverage based upon breach of contract. The insurance contract requires notification of claims in a timely manner. If the insurance carrier deems it was not notified in a timely manner and was prejudiced by this delay, the insurance carrier may have the right to deny insurance coverage.

As such, this affects the person’s claims that they may be entitled to. If a person does not notify their insurance company in a timely manner, the insurance company has the right to allege the insured breached the terms of the insurance contract because many insurance contracts require the insured to notify it in a timely manner. If the injured person does not comply with these terms, the insurance company is prejudiced and the insurance company may deny coverage for the claim.

Settlement Offer

Insurance companies offer any settlement deemed appropriate for the claim being made, it doesn’t have to be of a certain severity for them to offer a settlement. In certain instances, this can be dependent on the force of the impact or other objective factors. However, there is no specific rule on how or why an insurance company makes an offer in any particular case.

Accident’s Affect on Insurance

Whether an accident affects a person’s insurance depends on the nature of the claim and many other factors among the insured, the insurer, and its underwriting company. Liability is a factor that most insurance companies consider when insuring an individual. However, liability is one of many factors that go into writing a particular insurance policy for an individual.