If you have been involved in a car accident in New York or Pennsylvania, you may be wondering how to get the best possible compensation for your damages and injuries. However, you have the right to negotiate with your car insurance company.
Gather evidence
The first step in negotiating with your car insurance company is to gather evidence that supports your claim. This includes the police report, photos of the accident scene and your vehicle, medical records and bills, receipts for any out-of-pocket expenses and witness statements.
What is included?
The next step is to calculate a fair settlement that covers all your damages and losses. You should first consider property damage. This includes the cost of repairing or replacing your vehicle, as well as any personal items that were damaged in the accident. Medical expenses include the cost of any past and future medical treatment, medication, rehabilitation and assistive devices that you need because of your injuries.
A fair settlement should also include compensation for lost income. This includes the amount of money that you have lost or will lose due to missing work or reduced earning capacity because of your injuries. It also includes pain and suffering, which includes the physical and emotional distress that you have experienced or will experience because of the accident and your injuries.
Any other losses that you have suffered or will suffer because of the accident, such as loss of enjoyment of life, loss of consortium, punitive damages, etc. should also be included.
To calculate a fair settlement, you can use online tools, such as Kelley Blue Book or Edmunds, to estimate the value of your vehicle, consult with medical experts to estimate the cost of your future treatment and use a multiplier method to estimate your pain and suffering.
A multiplier method involves multiplying your economic damages (property damage, medical expenses and lost income) by a number between 1.5 and 5, depending on the severity of your injuries and the impact of the car accident on your life.
Send a demand letter
Once you have calculated a fair settlement, you should send a demand letter to the insurance company that outlines your claim and requests a specific amount of compensation.
Your demand letter should include a brief summary of the accident and how it happened, a description of your injuries and how they have affected you, a list of your damages and losses, along with supporting documents, a statement that you are willing to negotiate in good faith and a deadline for the insurance company to respond.
You should send your demand letter by certified mail with return receipt requested, so that you have proof that it was delivered.