Improve Your Insurance Offer
Let’s talk about property damage. As Cleveland Personal Injury Lawyers, we get questions about property damage all the time. We often receive calls where someone has been in a total loss car crash but thankfully, is not injured. In these situations, it is common for people to be unsatisfied with what the other insurance company is offering. Just like us, many attorneys will not be able to take cases like this because there’s not much a lawyer can do without injuries being involved. If you are in this situation, we are glad you haven’t suffered any injuries and still have some tips for you that can help!
Here are 3 ways to help improve the offer that the insurance company is making for a property damage claim when it’s total loss:
1. Make sure the insurance company knows about any recent improvements you’ve made to the car.
An example of this could be new tires or brakes. Make sure to provide written documentation and if you don’t currently keep records of these documents, we encourage you to start, whether that’s physically or electronically.
2. Do your own research.
It’s very easy to have unrealistic expectations of what your car is worth. You can go to car dealership websites and see what comparable vehicles are being sold for. Comparable means they are similar make, model, year, and mileage. Provide your research to the insurance company as a reference point.
3. Understand the law.
What actually is the law? Under Ohio law, the insurance companies just have to give you what the fair market value of the vehicle was. The fair market value is what a similar car will be sold for on the open market.
If you are involved in a total loss car crash and are not injured, we hope you will use these tools to get the highest value you can from the insurance company in your property damage claim.
Total Loss Car Crash in Ohio
When our legal team is asked about property damage, most of the time it involves a total loss car crash. This happens when your car is totaled out. It means your vehicle isn’t repairable, or it will cost more to repair than what your vehicle is worth. The insurance claims process will be more involved for a totaled vehicle than other types of claims. Determining total loss varies by state, but in Ohio, filing a claim and receiving payment depends on how the insurance system operates.
Ohio Car Accident Injuries
We have been talking about how to handle your property damage claim when injuries are not involved, but if you or a loved one are injured in a car crash, our Ohio car accident lawyers can help. We understand that navigating the legal process and dealing with insurance adjusters, all while trying to focus on recovery can be difficult. Let our experienced legal team take the burden off your shoulders so you can concentrate on moving forward. The best step to take is contacting us after a crash to discuss your accident and injuries during our free strategy sessions.
