If you have been injured in a car accident in Waldorf, Maryland, you are entitled to make an insurance claim to recover compensation for all of your injuries. The first step is to make a claim against the insurance policy of the at-fault driver. In the vast majority of cases, the case will be settled through the insurance claim. If the matter cannot be settled through settlement negotiations, then injured victims are entitled to file a Waldorf, Maryland, personal injury case in the Maryland civil courts.

To maximize your chances of obtaining FULL, complete, and fair compensation, two things must happen: first, you should select a Maryland car accident attorney with a proven track record and excellent negotiating skills, and you must be patient. Insurance companies always want to pay as little as they can, and they dangle substandard settlement offers in the hopes that the victim will be desperate for money. If the settlement offer is not full, complete, and fair, the answer must be “no,” and the negotiations must continue.

The normal process of settling an insurance claim has many steps. Many of the steps occur simultaneously. As noted, among the first steps is to select an experienced Maryland car accident attorney like the ones at the Law Office of Robert Castro. Call for a no-risk consultation. Our number is (301) 870-1200

One of the key steps — which occurs later in the process — is to present an official Settlement Demand to the insurance company. This is usually a long letter with lots of supporting documentation. Several of the earlier steps are necessary for ensuring that the official Settlement Demand is full, complete and fair.

One of the earliest steps involves the victim obtaining medical evaluations, treatments, medications, therapies, etc., all aimed at a complete recovery of health and functioning. As part of this process, invoices, receipts, and bills are collected, documenting the costs associated with the medical care and recovery. Such are part of the full and complete compensation to which the victim is entitled. These costs will be included in the official Settlement Demand letter. This step is where patience is required since complete recovery may take some time. This is true if there are severe injuries and potential multiple surgeries.

Another very early step is the filing of a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company. Importantly, the victim must ALSO file a claim (or at least give notice) to the victim’s insurance carrier. This is necessary in case the at-fault party does not have insurance or has insufficient insurance. This step must usually be done within 30 days of the accident.

Along with these steps is the collection of documentation supporting other categories of damages will be collected and tabulated. These include documents related to lost wages/earnings, costs for repairing damaged property (like vehicles), collecting receipts for out-of-pocket and other expenses (like car rentals), and more. These, too, will be presented to the insurance company.

Another step involves collecting the evidence that proves that the at-fault party was, in fact, responsible for causing the accident and the resulting injuries. This involves various types of investigations like talking with eye-witnesses and doctors, gathering photos and videos, collecting medical records, etc. This may also involve retaining experts such as doctors or accident reconstruction experts. This step also involves identifying ALL insurance policies that might be applicable and identifying any other at-fault party, like a repair shop, another driver, the manufacture of a faulty vehicle or vehicle component (like tires), and potentially others.

Once these steps are completed, it is time to calculate damages and prepare the official Settlement Demand. Thereafter, there is a set of negotiations with the insurance company (or companies). If a settlement cannot be reached, then a lawsuit will be prepared and filed.

Contact Waldorf, MD Personal Injury Attorney Robert Castro Today

This article has been provided by the Law Office of Robert Castro. For more information or questions, contact our office to speak to an experienced Maryland personal injury lawyer at (301) 870-1200. We are Waldorf, MD, Personal Injury lawyers. Our address is 2670 Crain Highway, Waldorf, MD 20601.