Being involved in a car accident in Washington can come with many different challenges, especially when it comes to filing a car accident claim. There are several steps to this process that you will need to be aware of so that your claim is thorough and accurately presents your losses. Creating a strong car accident claim ensures you will receive the settlement you are entitled to.
At NBF Accident Law, our car accident attorneys in Washington can help you with every step of the process as you navigate how to file a car insurance claim after an accident. Our attorneys will work tirelessly on your behalf, helping you gather evidence, file your claim, and negotiate with insurance companies.
How to File a Claim for a Car Accident in Washington
If you want to file a car accident claim in Washington, there are certain steps you will need to complete before receiving a settlement offer. Something to keep in mind is that any time you are involved in a car accident, you should file a crash report. This is required if the accident resulted in personal injury, death, or property damage valued at more than $1000.
You may also want to consider filing a claim even if you do not have injuries at the time of the accident. Many car accident injuries may not become noticeable until several weeks later, which is why you should always get medical attention.
Here are the basic steps to follow if you have sustained any injuries or property damage in a car accident:
- Gather evidence: If you are not seriously injured, try to gather and preserve evidence at the scene of the collision through things like photographs, videos, and contact information from any witnesses. Later on, your car accident insurance claim lawyer can help you access medical records, get witness statements, and locate police reports.
- Get medical care: Even if you do not seem to be injured after the accident, you should still request to receive medical care directly after the collision. Doing this will create a paper trail that you can include in your claim, and it ensures you do not have any serious injuries, such as a concussion or internal bleeding.
- Report the accident: The majority of insurance policies require you to report the accident within a certain amount of time if you wish to receive coverage. Do this as soon as possible, but avoid sharing any unnecessary details with your insurance company.
- File the claim: After you have reported the accident and gathered evidence, you can file a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company. Washington is a comparative negligence system, so it is essential that you have already reported the accident and provided evidence regarding injuries or other losses.
- Work with the insurance adjuster: After you have filed your claim, an insurance adjuster will be assigned to you to conduct interviews and gather additional evidence. It is best to let your car accident claim lawyer handle most of the communication with the insurance adjuster since they may look for reasons to offer a lower settlement amount.
After the insurance adjuster has collected additional evidence, the investigation will be over, and you will receive a settlement offer. Let your car accident attorney handle this part of the communication, as they can instruct you on whether or not it is a fair settlement. If it is determined that it is not a fair settlement offer, your attorney can negotiate on your behalf.
If an agreement cannot be made on the settlement offer, it may be necessary to file a lawsuit to pursue the amount you believe you are entitled to.
How Long After an Accident Can You File a Claim?
You may be wondering how long you have after a car accident to file an injury claim. The good news is that in Washington, car accident victims have three years from the date of the collision to file a claim to pursue compensation. If you do not file a claim within this timeline, it is very likely that your claim will be dismissed.
It is strongly recommended that you file a car accident claim as soon as possible instead of waiting for several months or years. The earlier you do this the fresher your evidence will be and it will most likely be easier to access as well.
Waiting for quite some time before filing a claim can also create more challenges when it comes to proving who was at fault.
Washington Car Insurance Laws
Washington requires drivers to have valid car insurance in the case of vehicle collisions. The specific amounts include:
- $25,000 for injury or death of one individual in a single accident.
- $10,000 for property damage in a single accident.
- $50,000 for injury or death of more than one individual in a single accident.
Aside from needing to have these basic insurance coverages, you can also get additional insurance coverage for your policy. You will need to have a thorough understanding of what is included in your insurance policy so that you know how much you may be entitled to receive after a collision.
Despite the fact that Washington requires drivers to carry a certain level of car insurance, there are still uninsured and underinsured drivers on the road. This can create a more challenging claims process depending on the size of the settlement you are pursuing.
Contact an Auto Accident Lawyer at NBF Accident Law
Whether you have sustained physical injuries or property damage after a car accident in Washington, you may want to file a car accident claim. Before you do this, you should hire a car accident claim attorney to help you create a strong claim that outlines why you deserve compensation.
At NBF Accident Law, our car accident lawyers will fight purposefully on the behalf of auto accident victims in Washington state. We can assist you with gathering evidence to determine fault as well as negotiating with the insurance companies and any other involved parties.
Contact us today at 206-923-8888 to schedule a consultation with one of our attorneys.
