Hopkins, SC Car Accident Lawyer
Filing a car accident claim with the relevant insurance policies and trying to handle the case on your own can be daunting. Working with our experienced lawyers can help you get your case filed and protect your claim, plus our lawyers can go above and beyond to maximize your damages as best we can, potentially getting you higher compensation than you would have received on your own.
Insurance companies often fail to pay cases in full, instead offering only enough in a settlement to end the case quickly and avoid lawsuits. However, our lawyers can determine what your case is really worth and fight to get you those damages instead.
Call (803) 451-4000 for a free case assessment today with our car accident lawyers at Burriss Ridgeway Injury Lawyers.
How Insurance Companies Undervalue Car Accident Cases in Hopkins, SC
While some insurance companies and insurance claims can be incredibly helpful, and many of these claims processes are open and honest in many ways, there is the unavoidable fact that insurance companies are businesses. Insurance claims are often challenged to help those businesses save themselves money. Because of this, our car accident lawyers often find that insurance companies will fight to pay small amounts for injury cases or work to avoid paying the claim altogether.
When you file an insurance claim for a car crash, our primary focus will be on the claim filed with the defendant’s insurance policy. While your insurance policy might have some first-party benefits like MedPay that can cover some damages quickly, the rest of your compensation will ultimately be paid by the at-fault driver under South Carolina’s “fault” or “tort” insurance system.
There are three things that insurance companies might try to save themselves money in car accident cases:
Settling Low
First, insurance companies often realize that it is cheaper for them to pay an injured driver or passenger something than it is to try to fight cases. Going to court can be expensive for these companies, but if they approve a claim and pay the victim enough, they can end the case early and for less money than it would take to go to court. As such, never trust that an insurance company’s first settlement offer is accurate.
Cutting Out Damages
Second, insurance companies will try to reduce the damages in an insurance claim as much as possible, even if they still agree to settle. As such, you could find undervalued vehicle repair costs, medical payments that fail to cover certain services, and lost wage damages that incorrectly calculate your income. In some cases, this is done under technicalities and loopholes so the insurance carrier can claim they were not lying or cheating.
Taking Advantage of Technicalities
Third, insurance companies might deny and delay claims as much as they legally can under the rules and technicalities of their policies and processes. If a claim is missing certain information, the insurance company might be able to reject the claim rather than contact you and get clarification. It is vital to double- and even triple-check all claims and forms and have a lawyer review any statements or submissions to the insurance companies to ensure no vital information is missing or errors were made that the insurance company can jump on to deny the claim.
Suing for Injuries in a Car Accident in Hopkins, SC
While many car accident claims are handled through insurance, this is not the only way to get your damages paid. South Carolina’s fault/tort system usually allows injury victims to pursue their claim in a lawsuit instead of an insurance claim, which can be a powerful way to pressure the insurance company to pay for the full value of your case. If an insurance carrier believes they could lose the case at trial and ultimately pay more by losing, it can pressure them to settle your case for a fair value now instead of waiting to lose later.
In filing a lawsuit, you put your case in the hands of a judge and jury. These neutral parties are not invested in the case, unlike the insurance adjuster and at-fault driver, who have a motive to deny, delay, and undervalue your claim to save themselves or their employer money. If you request a jury in your case, they might be very sympathetic to your case and could be willing to award far higher compensation than the insurance company would.
When you file your claim in court, many technicalities and processes are involved. There are also precise Rules of Civil Procedure, Rules of Evidence, and other court rules that need to be followed. Our attorneys are experienced in following these rules and using the courts to get our injury victims the compensation they deserve, and we can help you in your case as well.
Ultimately, whether your case is best handled through insurance or the courts usually comes down to pursuing both routes and accepting a settlement if a fair settlement is indeed offered. If no settlement can be reached, then we can fight your case all the way through trial to get your claim paid.
Common Car Accident Injuries in Hopkins, SC
Victims of motor vehicle collisions can face a wide variety of injuries. Car accidents are one of the leading causes of death in the United States and South Carolina specifically. Still, most car accidents thankfully involve either no injuries or mild injuries only. Nonetheless, crashes can cause cuts, bruises, and scrapes of varying severity, along with concussions, broken bones/fractures, and soft tissue injuries.
More severe injuries can include back injuries, neck injuries, and spinal injuries that can result in long-term care needs or even total paralysis. Moreover, traumatic brain injuries, traumatic amputation, and other serious injuries can be life-threatening and lead to permanent disabilities.
For Help, Contact Our Car Accident Lawyers Today
Reach out to the car accident lawyers at Burriss Ridgeway Injury Lawyers by dialing (803) 451-4000 today.
