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How to File a Legal Auto Insurance Claim in California

As a car insurance policyholder, you expect your insurance company to provide the protection you need to make you whole after an accident. Unfortunately, that is not typically the case. The hard truth is insurance companies increase their revenue by devaluing or denying claims.

If you have been involved in an accident with a negligent driver, the claims process is even more complex, as that driver’s insurance company will put up an aggressive fight to avoid paying for your medical bills, lost wages, and additional expenses — even when you have suffered severe or life-changing injuries. So, what do you next?

At Redkey Gordon, our personal injury attorneys in Stockton, California have several tips for injury victims who are seeking financial compensation from the insurance company after their crash.

Tip One: Follow all your medical team’s care instructions fully.

If you have been hurt in a Stockton car accident and are trying to determine the best approach to filing a claim, you have already called the police, obtained an accident report, had your car towed, and have sought medical care.

The next step is to follow your doctor’s orders to the letter, which means never missing an appointment or treatment application for the duration of your recovery. This is very important to your claim, as the insurance company will look for any reason to avoid payment. If you miss a doctor’s appointment, they will point out that you weren’t injured enough to seek proper care. Do not give them any leverage. Follow all your medical care instructions fully.

Tip Two: Avoid conversations with the negligent driver’s insurance company until you obtain legal counsel.

Filing an auto accident claim on your own is going to be met with resistance from the insurance company, which is why it is important to contact a Stockton car accident attorney to file your auto insurance claim for you.

The insurance company will automatically prepare a statement to deny your claim, while using manipulative tactics that will confuse you, jeopardizing your ability to fully recover. When the insurance company calls — and they will call right after their policyholder contacts them — the representative will try to catch you off guard, and trick you into accepting fault for the crash.

All conversations with the insurance company are recorded, and they will be used against you. As your attorneys, we will channel all contact regarding your accident through our office, so you do not have to worry about the adjuster manipulating your words when you are at your most vulnerable.

Tip Three: Focus on your physical and emotional wellbeing while we handle your financial recovery.

Severe injuries can take weeks, months, and even years to heal — when you can fully recover — and will require your complete focus.

When you hire our experienced Stockton car accident attorney at Redkey Gordon, we will devote our legal knowledge and resources to outlining your complete financial recovery needs by:

  • Collecting and preparing all evidence that bolsters our case, including witness interviews, partnering with accident reconstruction experts, and obtaining all images or video from the scene via public or private recordings
  • Interviewing your medical team to understand your complete needs and the costs associated with your ongoing and future care
  • Determining how long you must be away from work to focus on your recovery
  • Assessing your partial or full disability needs and/or short or long-term disability requirements
  • Preparing your claim for presentation to the insurance company
  • Developing a negotiation settlement or collectively deciding to proceed to trial

While most car accident insurance claims can be settled outside the courtroom, our experienced lawyers are always prepared for trial, should negotiations break down. We aggressively fight for our clients’ rights, so they can focus on getting their lives back, and we will never settle for an amount that does not meet each of their complete recovery needs.

If you have been injured in an accident in San Joaquin County, contact our experienced shutter creek car accident lawyers at Redkey Gordon Law Corp today at (916) 877-9700 to schedule a free consultation, and learn how we can help you build your case to pursue the financial recovery you deserve.