Being involved in a car accident is never a pleasant experience, but it is something that happens more often than many of us would like to admit. No matter how safe of a driver you are or how careful you are on the roads when you’re behind the wheel, all it takes is one reckless or careless driver to cross paths with you, and your day is ruined. Some car accidents are more serious than others, but almost all of them will result in damage to your vehicle. Your life can be affected for some time after being involved in a car accident, even if you got lucky and were not seriously injured. Because of this, it’s worth learning more about the various things you can claim after a crash.
Car Value
With the right car insurance in San Antonio, you will be able to claim the value of your car if you are involved in a collision that renders it unusable. If the cost of repairing your car is more than how much it is worth, then you can claim on your car insurance to pay out the value of the car and provide you with the cash you need to buy a new one. You can also add extra coverage such as GAP insurance to your auto insurance policy when you buy a new car. This protects you against the value of your vehicle depreciating over time and allows you to claim back what you paid for the car, even if it is worth less at the time of the collision.
Car Repairs
In many accidents, you may not need to completely replace your car – but having it repaired and brought back to a safe, usable condition again can be costly. You can make a claim through your auto insurance policy to cover the cost of any necessary repairs. Some insurance companies will have preferred auto repair shops that you will need to use once you have made a claim, while others are happy for you to take your car to your preferred auto repair professional and then send them the bill, so make sure that you know which one is the case with your insurance company before you book any repairs.
Personal Injury
If you are injured as the result of a car accident, then you can also make a personal injury claim against the other driver if the crash was not your fault. In some states, you can also make a claim if the crash was somewhat, but not fully your fault if the other driver was more at fault than you were. If you are awarded compensation, this may be reduced based on the percentage of fault in the accident you were deemed to have.
Loss of Earnings
Finally, if you have had to take time off work to recover from injuries or mental health repercussions caused by the accident, then you can also claim any earnings that you have lost as a result. If you are expected to not return to work for some time, you can also claim for future earnings losses.
Since car accidents are happening more and more often these days, it’s always good to know what you are within your rights to claim if you are involved in a crash on the road.