You may want to skip filing a car accident claim yourself and allow a car accident lawyer to file for you if you were…
- …hit by a reckless driver covered by AAA Insurance and…
- …seriously injured.
The expenses that follow a major injury, like a broken bone or a head injury, often make insurers fight harder to avoid giving you the financial help you’ll need in recovery. A lawyer can help you prove fault and often win much more than you could win by taking on AAA yourself.
However, if you are left with only property damage or very minor scratches and bruising, you may be able to handle your claim yourself and get fair treatment.
Here’s a guide to how to file a claim with Triple-A and how to avoid falling into common insurance traps meant to limit what you earn in support.
Monitoring a Claim Filed with AAA Insurance
AAA Insurance offers its own car insurance in many states. In California, though, AAA offers insurance through a local network known as California State Auto Insurance (CSAA). You can check in on coverage and find local AAA branches in your city here. To file a claim, you will call 800-922-8228.
Accident victims from another state who are covered by AAA can go to the website and click on “Manage My Claim.”
- Investigation. Once your claim is filed, an investigation and in-person estimate on repairs may be made.
- Vehicle Repairs. Victims can choose their own car repair shop or use a body shop in AAA’s Approved Auto Repair (AAR) network. However, AAA does offer a lifetime guarantee on the repairs made at a member repair shop.
- Totaled Cars. In California, your vehicle can be declared “totaled” when the cost to repair it plus the vehicle’s salvage value equals more than the vehicle was worth (before it was damaged). AAA would determine the value of the car and offer you that amount.
Avoiding Insurance Tactics When Dealing with AAA Insurance After an Accident
As mentioned above, if your claim involves only very minor injuries and car damage, you may be okay handling your case yourself. The process to get car repairs and body work done has become very standard in the insurance industry.
However, if your accident involves a serious injury, the value of your case and the complexity will grow. Insurance adjusters will take special care to try to limit what you take home in a settlement check. It’s heartless, because this is a time when you’ll likely be missing work, facing a wall of debt, and could use prompt and comprehensive help.
Having a lawyer safeguards your case against these insurance tactics and others:
- Disputing Fault. Insurance adjusters can play the blame game. They can ignore what a California Highway Patrol accident report indicates and proclaim their policyholder innocent.. If they can get you to accept the fault, they can ignore your accident claim. The other driver may even be able to ask your auto insurance provider for support. A lawyer provides evidence to make sure this can’t happen.
- Immediate Settlement Offers. Insurers may want to catch you off guard and offer a quick resolution. They hope you’ll jump at an inadequate offer. They want you to sign off on a quick settlement before you understand the true scope of your injuries and the costs that will be coming down the road. Once you sign off on a settlement, you can’t go back and ask for more later.
- The Run Around. Insurers like to slow things down with other cases. The longer you have to wait for a claim response and a check, the more desperate you may become. Insures know this. Sending you to a different insurance representative, often a low-level employee, who can’t really give you any help. They keep you going in circles so you get desperate enough to accept any offer. A skilled lawyer knows how to cut through the red tape and who to speak to when you need results.
- Lowball Settlement Offers. These are settlement offers that won’t cover all of your medical bills and reimburse you for income lost while you’ve missed work. A skilled lawyer monitors all communications from an insurer and rejects lowball offers to demand more.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to file a claim against AAA Insurance after a traffic accident?
In California, car accident victims have up to two years to file a lawsuit over a car accident. If victims wait longer than two years, AAA Insurance is usually able to toss out the claim.
What type of support can I receive from AAA Insurance after a Car Accident?
Victims should, of course, get help from an at-fault driver to pay for all repairs to a car, or replacement costs if it’s totaled. When an injury is involved, patients should also receive full funding for their medical bills, both current and those expected in the future. Victims must get help in supporting themselves while they must miss work and paychecks. A skilled Maison Law attorney would also demand compensation for victims left to endure pain and cope with mental trauma.
Can my family receive support from AAA Insurance if a loved one is killed in a California accident?
After a tragic collision, family members may file a wrongful death claim and seek support for the future from AAA Insurance. Families should never face funeral costs and leftover medical bills alone. They also shouldn’t have to worry about how the family will support themselves if they relied on a deceased victim’s income. The insurer for the at-fault driver would have to provide support to last a lifetime if necessary.
Discussing Your Insurance Claim with a Skilled California Car Accident Attorney
If you feel uncertain about whether you need the help of a lawyer to get the most out of your claim, you should contact Maison Law of California for a free consultation. It’s an easy way to discuss your options and stay informed of your rights.
If we can’t help you earn more for your claim, we’ll be upfront with you. But when claims involve serious injuries, like broken bones, neck and back injuries, or brain injuries, it can pay to speak to a lawyer. An experienced California car accident lawyer has a good chance to earn you much more than you could secure by handling your case yourself.
You also don’t have to worry about having the money to hire Maison Law if you need us. We don’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then our lawyer’s fee comes out of the settlement money that a car insurance company must hand over to you.
