The steps you’ll have to take to pursue accident compensation may depend on the type of accident in which you've been involved. If you’ve been in a car accident, for example, you may contact your auto insurance company to seek compensation. For injuries sustained at work, you will usually file an injury claim with your employer. In some cases, you may also need an attorney's help with obtaining accident compensation. For example, you may hire an attorney to sue an individual or a company for compensation if the compensation amount you are offered seems too low or the other party disputes your claim.
To seek accident compensation after a car accident, your first step may be contacting your car insurance company to notify a representative that you were in an accident. The insurance company may then request detailed information about the accident. Agents will then begin the process of providing compensation for any property damage you’ve suffered as well as compensation for your physical injuries; agents may also help you seek compensation from the other party's insurance company.
Your automobile insurance company may help you with compensation regardless of whether or not you were at fault in the accident. If, for example, the other driver was at fault, your insurance company will typically seek compensation from the other driver’s insurance company. If you were at fault, however, money to repair damages to your vehicle may come from your own policy instead.
If you have been injured at work, the manner in which you will file for accident compensation may be different from the steps you would take after a car accident. In most cases, your employer will have a designated department responsible for handling work-related injury claims, or at the very least, another employee who starts the claims filing process. Once you’ve notified the appropriate department, however, you may do well to check back to be sure the claims process has started. You may be limited in the amount of time you have to file a claim after an at-work injury.
Sometimes you may want to get a lawyer involved in the accident compensation process. For example, you may need a lawyer if you were in a car accident and did not have insurance or if you want compensation that exceeds the amount the responsible insurance company believes you are entitled. For example, if you want compensation for pain and suffering in addition to physical injuries, you may need an attorney’s help. Additionally, you may need an attorney if you’ve been in another type of accident and need to sue a business or other party for compensation.
