Insurance Companies Sometimes Make Car Accidents Worse

If you're involved in a car accident that was not your fault, you will likely have to deal with the insurance company that covers the driver who did cause the accident. This can be enormously difficult and, in many cases, frustrating. Some insurance companies have a reputation for being very good at living up to their obligations and, if you're fortunate enough to be dealing with one of these companies, things may go smoothly. There are problems that can arise, however, and here are some things you may want to expect.

"Authorizing" repairs and treatments.

When you're dealing with the other driver's insurance company, they may well demand that you go ahead and get authorization from them before you get anything on your vehicle repaired or before you get any medical treatments related to the accident. The insurance company may also demand that you bring your vehicle to a particular shop to get it repaired.
To avoid any hassles with bills, make certain that you get authorization in writing from the insurance company before you get any repairs done on your car or before you do get any treatments done that aren't emergencies. Your doctor's advice should always outweigh billing concerns, of course.
Sometimes, the insurance company may try to delay paying for any repairs to your vehicle. One strategy you can use to get them to be more cooperative is to bring up the fact that, the longer they wait, the more expensive the bills are going to be. Your vehicle may very well be stored at a garage, awaiting repairs, and leaving it there is certainly going to cost you some money.
Additionally, while insurance companies will sometimes attempt to bully you into doing so, they cannot make you go to a specific garage to get your car repaired. They're free to recommend a garage and, in the case of good companies, they may actually recommend a garage because that garage has a good reputation. In other cases, however, this may just be a tactic to delay paying on their obligations.

When you need to get serious.

When dealing with insurance after a car accident becomes such a hassle that it is compounding the original cost of that accident and interfering with your life, it's time to contact an attorney about the matter. Attorneys can oftentimes get insurance companies to pay what they owe and, if those insurance companies decide to be difficult about it, the car accident attorney may well be able to file a lawsuit against them and take them to court.