Deciding Which Charges to Pursue

Posted on: 22 March 2021

Were you recently involved in a car accident that resulted in a lot of damage to your vehicle and other property inside it, and you're wondering about how to get the compensation you feel that you are entitled to? You will likely have the following questions about this type of compensation. 

What Is Property Damage?

When you are involved in a car accident, it is likely that you will not walk away with an injury.  Most car accidents involve property damage for things that need to be replaced or fixed, and it should be as simple as having an insurance adjuster investigate the damage and let you know what will be covered.  However, property damage can be a tricky thing to receive compensation for in some auto accidents.

What Things Are Considered Property Damage?

The truth about property damage in a car accident is that almost anything can fall under that category. You may have a cell phone that was damaged during the crash that now needs to be replaced or repaired, or you were wearing eyeglasses or sunglasses that cracked and are not damaged.  You could have a laptop computer in the car that was thrown around the vehicle and is now damaged or even damaged clothing that you were wearing at the time.  Know that property damage is not limited to the vehicle itself, but the things inside it as well.

How Do You Recover Property Damage?

The key to receiving compensation for all property damage involved in an accident is to have proof that you suffered a loss. This means taking plenty of pictures of damaged items in the vehicle after the crash and having receipts to show that you had to replace the items or original receipts that show the item's value. While it is possible to receive compensation for things that were not properly documented, it will make the recovery process so much easier when you are able to provide proof of your property damage-related losses. 

Are There Limits To How Much Property Damage You Can Claim?

When you are involved in an accident where another driver is at fault, you'll be using their insurance to make the damage claim. Their policy likely has a limit on how much they will pay out for property damages, which is possible to reach easily if you have medical bills.  If you do reach the limits of their policy, you will then have to go after the driver separately to recover losses that were not covered by policy limits. 

Reach out to a lawyer to help navigate your auto accident claim so that you can receive what you deserve. An auto accident attorney will be a good resource if you need to calculate the compensation you want to claim.