Car crashes can be extremely disorienting. You may be suffering from serious physical injuries that require hospitalization and follow-up doctor’s appointments, and you may be trying to determine how you will pay your bills when your injury is preventing you from working.
On top of the high financial costs of a car accident, you may also be struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder or other psychological effects of the collision. As such, I know you may not be thinking about dealing with a car accident claim. However, it is extremely important to begin working on a claim for compensation as soon as possible.
I can assess your case and help you to determine your options for getting the financial compensation you need to recover from the crash. You may be wondering how to seek financial compensation after a car accident. In general, most car accident victims have two options — file an insurance claim and/or file a car accident lawsuit.
Filing a Car Accident Claim in Cleveland
In most car accident cases, the first route to seeking compensation is by filing an auto insurance claim. You should work with a car crash lawyer to determine whether it makes more sense to file an auto insurance claim with your own insurance company (what is known as a first-party claim) or through the at-fault driver’s insurance company (known as a third-party claim).
Under Ohio law, Ohio is what is known as a tort state or at-fault state for auto accident insurance purposes. What this means is that an injured party can decide whether to file a first-party claim or a third-party claim.
Which should you choose? Every case is different, and it is important to have me evaluate the specific facts of your case before you reach a decision. In general, first-party claims often go more quickly, but the injured person will need to pay the deductible associated with his or her insurance policy.
With a third-party insurance claim, the injured party will not have to pay a deductible, but the claims process may go more slowly, and insurance limits could mean that the injured person will have more trouble obtaining full compensation for all losses.
Filing an Auto Accident Lawsuit
If the at-fault party in a car accident has assets that could provide you with compensation for your losses and you cannot be fully compensated through an insurance claim, you should think about filing a car accident lawsuit. You may be able to obtain compensatory damages that can include economic and noneconomic damages.
Contact Me for More Information About Filing a Claim
When you have been injured in a car crash, it can be difficult to know what steps you need to take in order to seek financial compensation for your injuries. As I said above, there are a couple of different ways that you may be able to obtain compensation for your losses from a motor vehicle crash.
Do not hesitate to get in touch with me to learn more about the options that may be available to you. When someone else causes your injuries, I want to make sure we do everything possible to get you the compensation you need and deserve. I’ll Make Them Pay!® Call my office today at 877.944.4373 for more information.