Several things may happen with your insurance after a deadly car accident, depending on the decisions you make. For example, if you file a claim, the insurance company representing the liable party may provide your family with damages to cover the losses you experience due to the crash.
However, the insurance company may refuse or reject this claim. In some cases, the insurance company may even try to blame for a fatal crash on your loved one, blaming your family member for the collision and all associated losses.
Fortunately, an Indianapolis wrongful death lawyer can help your family understand how to handle the insurance company after a deadly collision.
What Will the Insurance Company Do After a Fatal Car Accident?
The insurance company that represents the at-fault driver will likely try to contact your family after a collision. Representatives may want you to provide recorded statements about what happened, and in many cases, they quickly send over a settlement offer.
However, the professionals recommend that you do not immediately accept this offer. Initial settlements often provide minimal damages. The company hopes that families will take the deal when upset in the aftermath of a fatal crash because the company wants to protect its bottom line.
Therefore, the professionals highly recommended that you contact an attorney after a crash and allow this legal professional to handle all dealings with the insurance company on your behalf.
Your Case Will Get
The Attention It Deserves
Does Insurance Apply to Losses Caused by Fatal Accidents?
The liable party’s insurance company may need to cover any losses your family experiences after a fatal collision. In order to get damages from the insurance company, you will need to file a claim after an accident.
An Indianapolis car accident lawyer can take care of filing this claim and handle all communication with the insurance company. The professionals strongly recommend you allow an attorney to handle these discussions.
The insurance company may try to convince your family to accept a very low settlement or even try to blame your loved one for what happened. Having a lawyer on your side means you’ll have a legal professional to handle these tactics, giving you more time to focus on caring for your family.
Damages Available Through a Wrongful Death Insurance Settlement
Indiana requires all motorists to carry auto insurance before they get behind the wheel. These policies should provide funds to cover the losses caused by an accident. For example, drivers must carry policies to pay for medical costs and property damage.
However, these policies may not cover all of the losses your family experiences in the event of a deadly collision. If a lawyer believes that you may qualify for additional damage, you may need to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the responsible party.
A lawyer may also suggest filing a lawsuit if the insurance company refuses all good-faith negotiation efforts. Find out more about what happens with insurance after a deadly car accident with a lawyer.
What Damages Do You Get Through a Wrongful Death Lawsuit?
The damages available through a lawsuit against the negligent driver will vary based on the age of your loved one, their marital status, and whether they had dependents. These legal claims may allow your family to get damages to cover:
- Medical and healthcare expenses
- Burial and funeral expenses
- A loved one’s lost earnings
These claims also allow you to push for damages to cover the non-economic effects of a fatal car accident. Your family may receive damages for your lost:
- Love and companionship
- Affection and care
- Training and guidance
Additionally, the at-fault party may need to pay for reasonable counseling costs in some cases. Some of these damages will go to your loved one’s estate. The rest go directly to your loved one’s surviving relatives and dependents.
An Indianapolis personal injury lawyer can provide more detailed information about these damages and explain what happens with insurance after a deadly car accident.
Will Your Insurance Go Up After a Fatal Car Accident?
Your insurance should not go up if someone else caused a fatal car accident that resulted in the loss of a loved one. You should not face penalties for the negligent actions of someone else, especially if they caused the death of a family member.
Causing a fatal accident will often cause insurance rates to skyrocket. In fact, many insurance companies will not cover drivers who cause a deadly collision.
If you have concerns about how your insurance company reacted after a deadly crash, you can talk to your lawyer about the situation.
Get Help Dealing with the Insurance Company After a Fatal Car Crash
What happens with insurance after a deadly car accident? The company that represents the liable driver may try to push your family to take a subpar offer or even try to blame your loved one for a crash.
Fortunately, our team at Vaughan & Vaughan can help you and take over all communication with the insurance company. We know how to negotiate with these companies or build a wrongful death lawsuit if they refuse to treat you fairly.
You can get legal support today by calling or completing our online contact form.
