“It’s how you deal with failure that determines how you achieve success.” – David Feherty
Understanding Your Rights and Obligations After an Accident in uAE
It is crucial for drivers to be aware of their legal rights and obligations in the event of a car accident in the UAE. This includes understanding issues related to insurance companies and compensation payments. Motor insurance is a necessity in Dubai. Immediately after an accident, drivers should contact their insurance provider.. It is also important to report the accident to the police or RTA, especially in cases of serious injury or damage. This article provides key guidance on how to effectively approach an insurance company after being injured, understand your rights and options.
Suffering an Injury: Seeking Compensation
Suffering an injury in an accident or due to someone else’s negligence can turn your life upside down. Not only are you faced with physical pain and emotional trauma, but also potentially high medical bills, lost income, and impact to your overall quality of life. Seeking compensation from an insurance company can help you get your life back on track financially after an injury. However, insurance companies are focused on limiting payouts in order to maximize profits.
Navigating the injury claim process and negotiating with insurance adjusters requires preparation and perseverance in order to reach a fair settlement.
What to Know About Insurance Companies and Injury Claims
Before contacting the insurance company after an injury, it’s important to understand where their interests lie. As for-profit businesses, insurers will inherently prioritize minimizing costs and payouts. Their first offer will likely be unreasonably low by design, hoping you’ll accept without countering.
Common tactics adjusters use include:
- Disputing liability or negligence: They may try to avoid paying by questioning fault.
- Downplaying severity of injuries: Minimizing documented pain and suffering.
- Challenging medical bills and treatment: Questioning costs and necessity of care.
- Making quick, low settlement offers: Hoping you’ll take initial offer without negotiation.
As the injured party, the insurance company is not on your side. Their goal is to pay as little as possible, while you deserve full and fair compensation. Going into discussions informed and prepared is crucial.
Initial Steps After an Injury Occurs
If you are injured in an accident caused by another party, there are key initial steps to take:
- Seek medical attention immediately. Having injuries and treatment documented in medical records greatly supports your claim.
- Report the incident to authorities and other parties promptly. File a timely insurance claim to avoid denial.
- Provide only basic information to insurance companies. Avoid speculating about what happened or admitting fault.
- Gather evidence and document the incident through photos, video, police reports, etc.
- Consult an attorney for advice – they can deal with insurance communication directly.
Carefully following protocols early on lays the groundwork for a strong injury compensation claim later, as seen in many personal injury claim examples.
Handling Communication With The Insurance Company
Once you’ve begun the injury claim process by contacting the at-fault party’s insurance company, an adjuster will be assigned to investigate and handle your case. These adjusters receive special training to minimize payouts, making caution imperative when communicating:
- Have legal representation present for all calls to prevent damaging statements.
- Provide only directly relevant information. Do not speculate or discuss unrelated topics.
- Rebuke requests for medical records prematurely – these contain private data.
- Get any verbal promises or commitments in writing to avoid misunderstandings.
The more evidence and documentation you have to support your rightful claim, the more success you’ll have negotiating with even the most ruthless insurance adjusters. Finding an attorney familiar with maximizing injury compensation should be strongly considered as well before getting too far into discussions.
Responding To Settlement Offers
Most initial settlement offers will be surprisingly low – insurance companies expect negotiation and make extreme first offers hoping you’ll take them. When you receive an initial settlement offer:
- Do not accept it without careful consideration – set aside emotion.
- Make a counteroffer demand based on calculated expenses, losses and damages.
- Provide evidence like medical records, doctor statements justifying your counter amount.
- Be prepared for back and forth negotiation before reaching an agreeable number.
- If you cannot reach a satisfactory settlement, mediation or litigation may be necessary.
With an experienced personal injury attorney, establishing a justified counteroffer and negotiating efficiently becomes much easier. Never accept an unreasonable offer and be ready to fight for fair compensation in court if needed.
When It’s Time To Contact A Personal Injury Attorney
Pursuing an injury claim without professional legal help is extremely difficult and often severely limits potential compensation. Common situations indicating it’s time to contact a personal injury attorney include:
- You attempted negotiating with insurance adjusters without success.
- The insurance company denied your claim altogether.
- You are uncomfortable handling medical record requests, calls and negotiations yourself.
- Settlement offers are extremely low or unacceptable despite evidence.
- The case involves complex legal technicalities you don’t fully grasp.
Personal injury lawyers specifically specialize in maximizing compensation from injury claims. Their expertise can mean the difference between receiving a few thousand dollars versus hundreds of thousands in damages in severe cases. Don’t leave money on the table – contact an attorney when hitting roadblocks pursuing fair compensation on your own.
Conclusion
Suffering an injury can be devastating enough without having to fight battles with insurance companies at the same time. Approaching carriers for compensation prepared and informed is critical to receiving a fair settlement offer. With medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering all warranting consideration – having professional legal guidance can make all the difference towards getting your life back on track once you’ve healed.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
General Injury Compensation Questions
What are common tactics used by insurance companies to minimize payouts?
Insurance companies and adjusters use various approaches to limit claim settlements, including disputing liability/fault, downplaying injury severity, questioning medical costs, and making unreasonably low initial offers hoping claimants will simply accept them.
When should I contact an attorney for help with my injury claim?
Situations indicating it’s time to contact an attorney specializing in maximizing personal injury compensation include claim denials, poor settlement offers even with ample supporting evidence, hitting roadblocks negotiating on your own, or facing complex legal issues requiring expertise.
What types of damages might I be compensated for?
Common damages covered in injury claim settlements include medical bills, lost income and future earnings, cost of ongoing treatments, changes to quality of life, physical or emotional pain/suffering, property losses, and in severe cases even punitive damages meant to punish gross negligence.
Settling With The Insurance Company
What’s considered a “fair” settlement offer? How is the amount calculated?
There’s no universal formula, as every injury’s impact varies. With documentation and legal help building a demand, including quantified medical costs, lost wages, and agony endured, serves as justification when countering unreasonable offers.
What if I can’t reach a satisfactory settlement agreement with the insurance company?
Additional avenues if a settlement can’t be reached include mediation utilizing a neutral third party, binding arbitration enforced by law, or ultimately filing a personal injury lawsuit seeking a judge or jury decision awarding damages.
Should I accept the insurer’s first settlement offer?
Almost never. As profit-seeking businesses, insurance companies begin negotiations with extremely low-ball offers. Documented expenses and attorney negotiation skills are key to securing fair compensation payments.
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Hi sir/mam
My name is irfan waris i had an accedent before 5 month ago . i just want to know how i can claim for insurance please help me at this matter.
I had a car accident on 5th of May.
Driver didn’t see me and reversed car and hit my back directly. It was in the parking.
I am preparing documents now.
I would like to know the cost and processes of the court.
my friend is a U.S. citizen whose currently doing business in Dubai, he was driving on an express way and didn’t see two kids on their bike coming his way and accidentally hit them. He called the police and helps taken them to the hospital. Both of the kids, I believe they’re 12 and 16 are seriously injured and needed surgery. He paid for their surgery and they’re now in coma. The police retained his passport and we’re devastated and don’t know what we should do next. Can you please advise?