If you were in a chain reaction accident, you got hit possibly more than one time and you probably hit one or two other vehicles- or more. You have questions. What do I do about my car or truck? How do I get compensation? Which insurance company is responsible? Who should I talk to? Accidents are confusing but these kinds are even more confusing. The attorneys at Bowen Ten Long & Bal, PC are here to help you through this very stressful time.
Most of the time one single vehicle is responsible for the crash. The police will figure out which one. That vehicle hits a vehicle, which then hits another one, and thus the chain reaction begins. The law in Virginia says that the driver of that at-fault vehicle is the one responsible for all the injuries and property damage caused by the accident.
After an accident, many people mistakenly think it is okay to give their own insurance company information. After all, it is your own car insurance company; you pay them premiums each month; they are on your side, right? This could not be further from the truth. In a chain reaction car accident, your Underinsured Motorist coverage is “adverse” to you in the exact same way the insurance company is for that at-fault driver. Never speak with any insurance companies until you have a chance to talk to a lawyer.
Your auto insurance policy includes Underinsured Motorist coverage that will cover you for injuries in the event the insurance on the at-fault driver is not enough to compensate you and everyone else involved in the accident. This is almost always the case. This means that you might be dealing with your own insurance company and possibly several others to sort out how each one will pay for your injuries and property damages. You need a lawyer to help. This is never something you should do on your own. Especially when you are dealing with being injured yourself.
It is important to wait and see exactly how you were injured. Many times, right after an accident you believe you feel just fine. May be all you feel is a little stiffness. It can take a week or more for you to feel the full impact of your injuries and for the pain to hit you. Also, to find out how long treatment will take. We believe that our clients most important job is to get better; our job is to help get compensated after you are better.
The insurance companies want you to believe that you must rush to talk with them; rush to get them your medical records, and if you do not do all this immediately, they will close the file and pay you nothing. Do not believe them. In Virginia you have two years to bring a claim against another driver and even your own insurance company resulting from a car accident. Many times, after we meet with a client, we send letters to the insurance companies telling them to leave our client alone. We let them know that once our client is done with all their treatment, we will update them on the status of everything and then start talking about numbers.
If you or a loved one is in a chain reaction car accident, please reach out to the lawyers at Bowen Ten Long & Bal, PC.