Seems simple enough, right? You get into a car accident, so you call the at fault drivers insurance company. They send out a friendly adjuster who looks at your car and offers to take care of everything. You go to your doctor and get the treatment you need, and, naturally, the insurance company picks up the tab in full. Simple, right? Wrong!

At The Law Offices of Steven M Krause PA, we’ve seen it all. Unfortunately, insurance claims just aren’t all that simple. In fact, they never really were. There are a lot of things the general public just has no idea about, which is why Anderson, SC auto accident attorneys are often helpful in keeping more money in your pocket and making sure you aren’t stuck with expensive medical bills. Here are just four of the many things most people don’t know about auto insurance claims.

#1 – Most Settlements Are Lump Sums

If the insurance company had it their way, they would offer to “pay your medical bills” and then offer you a couple hundred or maybe a couple thousand dollars for your “pain and suffering.”  Sounds like a great deal, right? Well, there’s a reason they break it down this way. The insurance company will often pay far less than the actual cost of your care.

When an Anderson, SC Car Accident attorney helps with your case, they will generally push the insurance company to pay for the full value of the medical care, meaning you may get a lump sum of more than $5,000. Then the attorney negotiates with the healthcare provider to get you a better deal, keeping the difference in your pocket. This can mean a huge difference in what you receive.  

#2 – You May Have to Pay Money Back to Your Health Insurance Carrier

A lot of people are shocked when they get a notice from their health insurance company demanding reimbursement. Say your health insurance paid for treatment relating to the car accident and you recover sizeable compensation from the at-fault driver. Your health insurance company will almost always request payment.

The same is true for Medicare, Medicaid, and many long-term and short-term disability plans.

#3 – Offsets Apply to Uninsured Motorist Claims

Say you are hit by an uninsured motorist. You notify your own insurance company and they offer you a decent settlement under your uninsured motorist policy. If along the way, your insurance company already paid some of your medical bills through your “medical payments” coverage, they may reduce or offset the amount you receive by the amount they already paid. Deceiving as this may be, it happens. South Carolina insurance guidelines can help to identify the differences between many of these coverage options.

#4 – Insurance Companies Treat People Differently without Legal Counsel 

Individuals who are represented by Anderson, SC Car Injury attorneys generally receive a much quicker response from insurance adjusters, and insurance representatives typically make much more reasonable and fair offers when dealing with experienced attorneys. It’s not so much an issue of respect; rather, insurance companies just know that many of the deceitful or confusing tricks won’t work, so they cut right to meaningful negotiations.  

After a South Carolina car accident, call The Law Office of Stephen M Krause PA, P.A. With decades of experience, you can count on us when it matters most.

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• 207 E. Calhoun St. Anderson, SC 29621
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Steven M. Krause

Steven Krause is a personal injury, auto accident, and workers’ compensation lawyer who practices in Anderson, SC. He graduated form the Thomas M. Cooley School of Law and has been practicing law for 40 years now. Steven Krause believes in fighting for the injured. Learn more about his experience here.