One of the most common questions I get is “Okay, so how does this work?” or “What is the process?”. These are both very understandable questions because most people don’t know how the process works because they have never been in a car accident or they have, but they never went through the entire process of working with a Law Firm and/or properly settling with the insurance company.

It is important to understand this article is about properly going through the process in order to put yourself in a position to get the most treatment for your injuries and the highest settlement for your damages. There are other ways to settle your car accident case but those ways are not going to put yourself in the best position.

1. CONFIRM YOU HAVE A CASE

The first thing you need to determine is whether you even have a case or not. You can watch the video below for more details but usually if you have these 3 check marks, you have a case.

• Someone else was at fault for the accident you were in
• There is available auto insurance to pay for your claims
• There are damages such as bodily injury and/or property damage

2. NOTICE THE INSURANCE COMPANY, ESTABLISH LIABILITY AND BEGIN MEDICAL DEVELOPMENT

The second step is two fold. One, either you or a Lawyer needs to notice the insurance company by starting a claim and doing what is necessary to get the insurance company to accept liability for the accident. Two, you need to start the medical development process, which means you go into a Doctor to get proper treatment for your car accident injuries. You can watch the video below for more of a breakdown of how you properly get treated for your injuries. I also encourage you to answer the 5 questions on our home page so you can speak with a car accident expert about your case.

3. REQUEST ALL MEDICAL RECORDS AND BILLS

After your treatment is complete, you or a Law Firm need to request all of your medical records and bills. It is important the records are properly documented to put you in the best possible position during negotiations. Keep in mind, some medical providers take longer than others to get you the records and bills. In addition, keep in mind that a Law Firm can get you set up with medical providers who agree to get paid back through the settlement and are very familiar with how to treat car accident victims. I encourage you to talk to a Car Accident Expert today by answering 5 questions on our home page.

4. PREPARE AND SEND A DEMAND LETTER TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY

Your demand letter is very important. It is where you lay out your entire case in a presentation. Most proper demand letters are close to 500 pages with the records. The goal with your demand letter is to show the insurance company how this accident happened, why their insured is at fault, what injuries you have from it, how much treatment you received, how it effected your life, if you lost wages, and ultimately laying out what the Law says about your case and why you should receive a certain amount of money as your settlement. If you get connected with a good Law Firm they likely have a demand writer who specializes in this part of your case. Talk to a Car Accident Expert today to get matched up with a good Law Firm.

5. INSURANCE COMPANY SENDS THEIR OFFER AND NEGOTIATIONS BEGIN

The hope is the Insurance company will put a fair offer on the table right away, but that is very rare. Most of the time, they do not put a fair offer on the table, and then it comes down to you or a Lawyer to negotiate accordingly. There is a very specific way to negotiate with insurance companies and the truth is, no matter how good you are at negotiating, if you are not a Lawyer, the insurance company is less likely to take you seriously. They know if you are not a Lawyer, you likely do not know how to file a Lawsuit against them and execute it properly so they use that to their advantage. When you have a good Lawyer, that has a proven court room record in car accident cases, you are much more likely to walk away with a good settlement. Talk to a Car Accident Expert today to get matched up with a Good Lawyer who knows how to negotiate by answering 5 questions on our home page.

6. REDUCE ALL OF YOUR MEDICAL BILLS

After a settlement number has been reached, one of the biggest impacts of how much you will walk away with in your pocket comes down to the reductions. Each penny you are able to reduce your medical bills is another penny that is added on top of what you walk away with. Good Law Firms have good relationships with medical providers who agree ahead of time before treatment even starts that they will reduce their bills at the end of the case. Talk to a Car Accident Expert today about reducing your medical bills by answering 5 questions to see if you have a case on our home page.

7. RECEIVE THE CHECKS AND DISBURSE THE MONEY

Once a settlement has been reached and all of the medical reductions are complete, if a Law Firm is involved, most of the time, they have individual checks cut for you and all of the medical providers. Keep in mind, sometimes it takes time for the insurance company to send in their check to the Law Firm to process. Furthermore, the Law Firm may take time as well to process it all through their accounting department.