Washington State Car Accident Attorney Provides Insurance Coverage Information

Most auto accident victims expect that costs associated with the incident will be paid for by either their own insurance company, or the company insuring the driver who caused the accident. Unfortunately, many clients tell our lawyers that they were refused payment from these companies for one reason or another. It is important to remember that insurance companies are in business to make money, rather than to pay it out. They may refuse a claim on technical grounds or offer a settlement that is too low to account for lost wages or total medical bills. If you live in the Bellevue or Seattle, Washington area, a car accident attorney from Phillips & Webster can help you obtain a fair payment from the insurance company.

• Denied Claims Due To Technicalities
• Drivers with No Insurance
• Underinsured Drivers
• Low Settlement Offers

Denied Claims Due To Technicalities

Insurance policies are difficult to read and often even harder to understand. This works in favor of the insurance companies because many people do not bother to read the fine print of their policies. When a claim is filed, insurance companies will often use a variety of excuses pertaining to the nitty-gritty details of a policy to avoid paying the claim, or to get away with paying less than a reasonable amount. Your first line of defense against falling victim to these excuses is knowing your policy. Your second is to retain an experienced car accident attorney who knows insurance law and can help you collect on your claim.

People who faithfully pay their premiums on time usually know they have a case when their insurance companies refuse to pay a legitimate claim. When an insurance company refuses to pay a claim on the grounds of a missed or late payment, however, the insured may believe they have no recourse. This is not always the case. According to Washington State law, an automobile insurer is required to notify the insured a minimum of ten days before canceling a policy due to non-payment of premiums. This means that even if a payment was missed at some point, as long as the insurance company never properly notified the insured and cancelled the policy, the policy is still in effect and must be honored.

There are dozens of other technicalities that may be cited by insurance companies as a way to avoid paying a claim, such as missed deadlines, inaccurate or incomplete information provided by the insured, or misinterpretations of the policy text. As the insured, it is important to understand that insurance companies are bound by law to act in good faith. In other words, they cannot willfully deny a valid claim. This doesn't mean they won't try. Often, the only way to collect the fair value of your claim is to hire a lawyer who has experience with insurance law. At Phillips & Webster, we help people throughout Bellevue, Seattle, and all of Washington. Contact a car accident attorney at our offices today.

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Drivers with No Insurance

Another common situation in which auto accident victims need the help of our lawyers is when their car accident was caused by a driver with little or no insurance. Although every state has mandatory liability insurance laws, some drivers still fail to meet these legal requirements. Insurance companies are required by Washington law to offer uninsured motorist insurance to cover your expenses if necessary, but it is the other driver's responsibility to obey the law and carry the mandatory insurance. These careless drivers should be held responsible for their actions and not allowed to break the law without consequence. At our Woodinville, Bellevue, and Seattle offices in Washington a car accident attorney from our firm can help victims pursue monetary compensation from uninsured drivers.

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Underinsured Drivers

Although most drivers obey the law and carry the mandatory amount of liability insurance required by the state, this minimum amount is often insufficient for covering the expenses associated with a car accident. If a collision occurs and the responsible party does not have enough insurance to cover the costs resulting from the accident, you are not without recourse. Phillips & Webster can help you collect the maximum amount of compensation allowed by the liable driver's policy and then access your own policy's underinsured motorist coverage.

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Low Settlement Offers

One of the most common and successful tricks used by insurance companies is the low settlement offer. An insurance company will almost always offer less than the fair amount for a claim because most people will not contest it. Some people believe that they must take what the insurance company gives them and they have no recourse to pursue more than that. Some people need the money so badly that they will take a small payment up front rather than hold out for a larger one. Others simply don't want to go through the hassle of arguing with the insurer. However, you are entitled to an amount that adequately covers the damages incurred in a car accident. When insurers offer less than that fair amount, they are cheating you out of compensation that you deserve and paid for with your premiums. Before accepting a low settlement offer from your insurance company, contact Phillips & Webster, serving Bellevue, Seattle, and all of Washington, to speak with an experienced car accident attorney.

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Contact Seattle and Bellevue, Washington Area Car Accident Attorney for Case Evaluation

If you have been injured in the area due to a car accident caused by a negligent driver, do not hesitate to contact our Woodinville, Seattle, or Bellevue, Washington offices to speak with a car accident attorney. Even if you are unsure whether you have a case, good legal advice from a lawyer at Phillips & Webster can be crucial to your chances of obtaining appropriate compensation.

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