If you were struck and injured by another driver covered by Nationwide insurance, you should discuss your options with an experienced California car accident lawyer. You may be able to secure much more with the help of a lawyer if your case involves expensive medical bills and considerable time lost at work.
However, if a collision only leaves you with vehicle damage, you may not need a lawyer’s help with your claim. The car repair claims process is fairly standardized nowadays. You should be able to file a claim and get the support you need to restore your vehicle or get money to replace a totaled car.
Here’s a guide to how to file a claim with Nationwide and how to avoid being taken advantage of in the difficult aftermath of a crash.
Contacting Nationwide to File a California Car Accident Claim
Nationwide says that filing a claim should only take ten to 15 minutes on its website. You can also report a claim by calling 1-800-421-3535. As you start a claim, you’ll be asked if you are a Nationwide customer or if you were struck by a Nationwide customer.
Nationwide indicates that these steps will be a part of the claims process:
- Filling in basic information
- Explaining what happened and documenting damages
- Selecting services (such as accident inspection options and selecting repair shops)
- Reviewing the claim and submitting
You should contact your insurer after any accident. You’ll likely need to file a claim with your own insurance provider, even if you weren’t to blame for what happened. In some cases, the at-fault driver’s insurance coverage doesn’t fully cover the damages. A claim with your own insurer can help pay the difference.
The California Department of Insurance offers a helpful guide for people going through the claims process after a car accident.
How Do I Get My Car Fixed or Replaced After a California Accident?
For repairs, Nationwide partners with repair shops in the “On Your Side Auto Repair Network.” You don’t have to use a body shop in the network, but if you do you’ll gain certain advantages.
- Repairs made with a Nationwide-approved repair shop would be guaranteed for as long as you owned the vehicle.
- Nationwide may be more willing to approve the repair estimates from in-network shops, and they may be easier to pay.
Totaled cars would be another matter. California allows cars to be declared “totaled” if the value of the car (with the salvage value added) would be less than the cost to repair it.
If this is the case, Nationwide would total your vehicle. Adjusters would then value your car based on the sale prices of similar vehicles in your area. The estimate would come from vehicles in a similar condition, with similar age and mileage.
What to Watch Out for When Dealing with Nationwide After an Accident
Nationwide might make filing a claim quick and easy. They may even send out a fast settlement offer to victims. But faster isn’t always better for the victims of serious accidents.
With simple car damage, the process is pretty standard, and insurers fight less over how much compensation they’ll provide. But when serious injuries are involved and thousands of dollars in medical bills, insurance companies work harder to limit what victims receive.
An experienced car accident attorney will be able to spot these tactics and call the insurer out. But if you are handling your case yourself, it’s a good idea to monitor the claims process for these and other shady practices:
- Shifting Blame. Nationwide would love to shift the blame away from its policyholder. You may need a lawyer’s help and investigative skills to prove who really caused a collision.
- Claiming You Aren’t Covered. Insurers may deny your claim by citing some fine print in the at-fault driver’s policy or your own policy. Few people have enough experience in reading insurance documents to fight back. An experienced lawyer can uncover the truth and turn the tables.
- Quick Settlement Offers. Insurers might work very quickly to put an insurance settlement offer in front of you to sign. They move quickly if they fear you might speak to a lawyer. They also don’t want you to find out how much you’ll really need to recover. Once you sign on the dotted line, you can’t go back later to ask for more in support.
- Delayed Settlement Offers. Insurers can also hit the brakes on the claims process. They might want to make you desperate as you see more and more bills you can’t pay hit your desk. Then, when you are struggling with anxiety about your financial well-being, they’ll offer a “lowball” settlement offer, hoping you jump at any chance of securing some support.
- Twisting Words from Recorded Statements. Insurers for the at-fault driver will call you, seeking a recorded statement. They want you to talk about what happened. But what they really want is for you to say something they can twist to hurt your case. Politely decline to give a statement and only offer basic information. Then refer them to your California car accident lawyer.
- Not Mentioning a Lawyer. Insurance companies won’t mention that you have the right to have legal representation, and they hope you don’t think to schedule a free consultation with Maison Law. If you were seriously hurt in an accident, it’s a good idea to discuss your options with an attorney. You should do this before you file a claim with any insurer. But if you start the process and find that your case isn’t being taken seriously, or you’re being blamed for an accident you didn’t cause, you can always reach out to us.
Discussing Your Insurance Claim with a Skilled California Car Accident Attorney
Contact Maison Law for a free case consultation if you or a loved one were injured in an accident. It’s a great way to determine if you need a lawyer for your case.
There’s no obligation for your meeting. If you do need our help to force more out of Nationwide, you 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 Nationwide must hand over to you.
