If you were…
- Hit by a reckless driver covered by Wawanesa and…
- Seriously injured…
You should consider scheduling a free consultation with a California car accident lawyer. Injuries push recovery costs up and up, and this causes insurers like Wawanesa to make it more difficult for victims to get help. A lawyer can help you prove fault and demand everything needed for a full physical and financial recovery.
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 Wawanesa and how to avoid falling into common insurance traps meant to limit what you earn in support.
Filing an Accident Claim with Wawanesa Car Insurance
Wawanesa Car Insurance doesn’t offer the online filing of claims at this time. There is online information that can guide you as you make your claim. To get a claim started, you’ll call the claims hotline to file a report at 888-WAWA-CLAIM (929-2252).
For an accident that only involves car repair after an accident, the process is fairly standardized:
- File your claim.
- Get assigned to a claims adjuster. An accident involving an injury would be looked at by a separate adjuster.
- The adjuster would investigate the case.
- A repair estimate will be determined. For extensive damage, an in-person inspection by a Wananessa employee may be necessary.
- Payment for repairs will be transferred to you or the repair shop you choose. Keep in mind that if your repairs are done with a preferred Wawanesa body shop, those repairs are guaranteed for as long as the vehicle is yours.
- If your car is “totaled.” A claims adjuster would determine the actual cash value (ACV) of the vehicle, and you’d be paid that amount.
In California, a car is deemed a total loss by adding the cost of repairs to the value of the car in salvage. If it’s more than the ACV of the car, then the car is considered totaled. The ACV is the estimated value of the car before it was damaged in the accident.
What Kind of Support Can I Seek from Wawanesa after a California Accident?
If you’ve been in an accident, your goal will be to get better, of course. But you’ll also want to protect yourself financially. You’ll try to avoid long delays in getting compensation. Because you’ll need money to pay for recovery expenses before your medical bills all come due and put you on the edge of bankruptcy.
While you’re down, you may be accumulating medical debt with each prescription you fill and each doctor visit. This all may happen while you are forced to miss time at work and are unable to earn a single dime to pay towards your bills.
Your California Car Accident Lawyer makes sure your immediate bills are addressed in any insurance settlement with Wawanesa. Your potential future expenses must also be addressed. Things like future surgeries, additional physical therapy, and any further disruption of your ability to work should be covered.
Your lawyer can help you demand compensation in a settlement check for these and other damages:
- Past medical bills and medical bills reasonably expected to be incurred in the future.
- Pain and suffering.
- Any permanent disfigurement or disability.
- Loss of a normal life.
- Lost earnings or diminished earning capacity.
- Wrongful Death Benefits. Families who lose a loved one to a traffic accident can file a claim with Wawanesa. This wrongful death claim seeks money to help the family pay for funeral costs, any leftover medical bills and accident response fees. Families should also get support for the years ahead now that the victim can no longer support a spouse and children with a weekly income.
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.
