One of the most common questions asked after a vicious car accident is “Will it be an option to bring an attorney on to your claim?” the unfortunate thing is most people are asking this of their current insurance providers and while they certainly can’t refuse the option of you bringing in an attorney they certainly try to avoid it.
Car insurance providers don’t necessarily endorse their customers using local car accident attorneys in addition to the coverage they get through their policy. Then there are some situations where it really wouldn’t make sense to bring in an attorney. For example, if were the at-fault driver then you would be paying for an attorney and all the fees that come with working with an attorney knowing that you probably won’t get compensation. However, as a victim, it can be advantageous to bring in a local Atlanta car accident attorney to help affirm fair handling of your claim.
In General Insurance Companies will “Provide a Lawyer” for the Policy Holder
As we mentioned briefly above your car insurance policy may provide you with an attorney. Of course, they’ll only provide you with an attorney if you were sued over the car accident which means that the other person involved in the crash believes that you or the at-fault driver. However, this all depends on your policy and the different type of add-ons you have for your coverage.
While most of the major car insurance providers such as GEICO, Progressive, Allstate, farmers, will provide an attorney, others may not. Discount car insurance providers and auto insurance policies that may be on a month to month basis will likely offer you a car insurance lawsuit coverage option. That lawsuit coverage option will provide you with an attorney only if you’re liable for the damages.
There is some confusion because at first, it seems as though this is the car insurance providers endorsing you using an attorney and that they would provide it. That’s not the case. Car insurance companies will typically only provide an attorney if you are being directly sued for damages you may have caused during the accident. In all other situations, you’ll need to hire your own attorney.
Perhaps the most important thing to note here is that there is no situation where your insurance company can tell you that you can’t bring in your own attorney.
Will My Car Insurance Company Drop Me If I Use an Attorney?
No. Seeking out legal help or aid is not one of the reasons that insurance companies can drop your claim. Although, if the claim resolution was sticky or terrible they may find another reason To win their relationship with you. The three most common reasons for car insurance companies dropping their customers include identified health issues, too many claims, and shutting down coverage for the area. Health issues such as heart complications or conditions that could make driving dangerous such as epilepsy will often result in ending policy coverage.
Additionally, if you’re making multiple claims over a very short period of time the insurance company might evaluate the risk of covering you and if that risk is too high they would end coverage. There is some give and take because if you are the victim of a series of car accidents it’s likely that they won’t drop your coverage. However, if you’re in a series of single-car accidents, or receive frequent tickets for speeding or moving traffic violations it’s likely that they would drop coverage.
Finally shutting down coverage for an area is pretty straightforward as car insurance companies will provide coverage to large areas and if it’s not beneficial for them they’ll end everyone’s coverage and move away from the area.
Report to an Atlanta Auto Accident Attorney Right Away
In an ideal situation, you’ll have called a local Atlanta car accident attorney before you’ve contacted your insurance company. Insurance companies don’t enjoy working with people who involve attorneys but by law, they can’t tell their customers to not seek legal support. What usually happens is a friendly customer service representative will do their best to convince you that an attorney is unnecessary. They’ll try to assure you that they have your best interest in mind and that’s just not true.
At the Weinstein Firm, our only goal is to seek full compensation for you. Unlike car insurance companies, we’re not trying to keep money in our own pocket by giving you a smaller payout. And working with the Weinstein Firm you’ll have access to experienced attorneys, valuable resources, and friendly service.
