If you have been in a car accident, the chances are that you have already spoken with your insurance company about compensation for your insurance policy or you may have even already filed a claim. You might be wondering if it will be necessary to go to court to settle your car accident claim. Though going to court over issues like this is fairly common, insurance claims are unique situations. There are a number of reasons that a car insurance claim may be elevated to a trial. The following information should help you plan ahead and learn more about the process of an accident claim that goes to court.
How common is it?
Though the prospect of going to court to settle your insurance claim might be scary to you, you should know that it doesn’t happen all that often in the grand perspective. Most of the time, insurance claims are settled very early and amicably by the two parties. Nobody wants to go to court, because it is expensive and takes a lot of time. As long as the two parties agree on a compensation, you shouldn’t have to take your car accident claim to court. Most of the time, car insurance claims are settled within days or weeks of the accident happening.
Why would it go to court?
Though many cases end up being settled far before it is necessary to go to court, there are thousands each year that don’t have that luxury. There are a couple of reasons why a car insurance claim might make its way into the courts to be finally settled.
The first reason is that the two parties cannot agree on the proper compensation for the car insurance claim. If there was damage done to your property and you believe that the insurance company is not holding up their end of the deal, that might be one reason that you decide to take the case to the courts. Likewise, if the insurance company feels that your case doesn’t deserve the compensation that you requested, they might elect to elevate the case to court.
The second reason that you might find yourself in court over a car insurance claim is if there is not an agreement on who was at fault for the accident. If the car insurance believes that you were at fault and they are refusing to pay out the amount that you have requested, they may choose to take you to court instead of just paying out the claim.
Hiring an attorney helps
If you find yourself on the brink of an insurance claim going to court and you need some help to increase your chances of winning, one of the best things that you can do is to hire an experienced and trustworthy attorney that can help you through the process. When you hire an attorney, you’ll be gaining vast knowledge of the legal system and the preparation that you will need to be successful in your claim. Additionally, hiring an attorney further increases the chances that the insurance company will reach out with a settlement offer before the case even goes to trial, saving you time and money.
