When you use your collision insurance coverage to repair your auto after an accident, normally, it’s a good way to go because you don’t have to wait for the other insurance company. They may have to contact their insured, get a statement and possibly wait for the police report – then they will go out and look at your car and finally do an estimate.
Meanwhile, if you use your collision coverage, you can call right away and start getting your car repaired. The only glitch is that you likely have to put up the deductible, whether it’s 250 or 500 dollars or if your car’s totaled, they deduct it from your recovery. Assuming that you have to pay the deductible, it is out of pocket and you do have to wait for it to come back.
Normally, that’s not a problem because your company, your collision carrier, will go to the other carrier, the liability carrier, and get your deductible back for you. As your attorney we don’t even have to that. Even if you’re injured and we’re handling the personal injury side of the case, your insurance company will go to the other company, get your deductible back, and send it to you so you will be paid back usually well before your personal injury case is resolved.
If you’re concerned about whether or not to use your collision coverage, a phone call to us would not be a bad idea, just to run over the situation. Even if you weren’t injured and you’re not going to retain us or retain a lawyer, there’s still some things to consider; you want to make sure you don’t have to go to court to get your deductible back.
