5 PROPERTY DAMAGES FACTS YOU NEED TO KNOW
With the waning restrictions of the COVID-19 lockdown, traffic fatalities have unfortunately not gone down with them — at least, not immediately. As a matter of fact, reports of worsening roadway deaths in Los Angeles have been made within the first few months of 2021 as public spaces were just starting to open.
Fortunately, things are starting to look up in 2023. But according to the report made by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the public must not remain complacent since the decrease in traffic fatalities has only gone down by 3.3%, which is still far from the roadway utopia Los Angeles sought to achieve almost a decade ago with the Vision Zero Initiative.
And as crumbling road infrastructure and poor urban planning further exacerbate traffic conditions, people must remain vigilant when they’re on the road. Aside from the obvious dangers that reckless driving could put on their wellbeing, they will most likely be subjected to the stress of taking care of the property damages in their car.
People could get easily overwhelmed from the stress of figuring out the logistics of what they should do after to better care for themselves, so much so that dealing with car damages just seems… frivolous.
But that’s what we are here for at Omega Law Group. In this blog, we will tackle the frequently asked questions surrounding property damages so you can go about your life better informed and less stressed.
1. Who is responsible for repairing or replacing my car?
The at-fault party’s insurance. However, they may need to “clear liability” first. In our experience working with insurance companies it’s not uncommon for them to resist doing so.
2. What does it mean to “clear liability?”
Basically, clearing liability entails them to admit that their insured is at fault for the accident. This will require them to investigate the accident, including rummaging through police reports, recorded statements, and contacting witnesses. Once they’ve determined that their insured was, in fact, at fault, only then will they green light any repairs to your car.
To avoid any unnecessary hold-ups, insurance companies need to clear liability within 40 days of the insurance claim. They have every incentive to prolong the investigation to avoid paying.
3. What do I do to avoid delays?
This may seem counterintuitive, but using your own collision coverage will alleviate any issues relating to delays on repairing your car. It won’t affect your insurance rates, and it will speed up the process so that you can use your car as quickly as you can.
But this only applies if you have collision coverage. If you don’t, you would unfortunately have to be under the mercy of the at-fault party’s insurance and wait for liability to clear.
4. How do I get a rental car?
While your personal injury law firm can request a rental on your behalf, your ability to actually get a rental car is completely up to the discretion of the insurance company. You can either get a rental the easy way or the hard way:
The Easy Way: Any payments made for your rental car will be directly billed to the insurance companies
The Hard Way: You would have to pay for the rental fees upfront and ask for reimbursement later.
It’s important to note that you may only start to get your rental covered during the days where your car is actively in the shop. Insurance companies are not responsible for covering rentals anytime before and after that period.
Please also note that in order for your rental to be fully covered, you must acquire a comparable rental vehicle (ie: a vehicle with the same size or of the same caliber).
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5. What if I still need to make some payments on my car?
If you financed your car through a lienholder (ie: finance company or a bank), then the process would be slightly different.
One, you need to submit your lienholder’s information to your personal injury law firm so that they can share it to the insurance company on your behalf:
- Lienholder’s name
- Telephone number
- Account number
- Pay off amount
The insurance company will then be in communication with your lienholder. And based on the settlement offered, the insurance company will then pay your lienholder first then issue the remaining balance to you (if any).
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So as you can see, taking care of your physical wellbeing and simultaneously worrying about your car repairs are not ideally done on your own. It’s exhausting, stressful, and too much work. For this reason, it’s extremely important that you hire a personal injury law firm that will have your back in dealing with property damage claims.
And not just any law firms. You need the best. You need Omega Law Group.
The team at Omega Law Group consist of highly skilled and experienced legal professionals that will have your back at any given moment. They are personable and will cater their services to the unique needs of their clients. This has led to the firm’s increased reputation in the legal industry and beyond.
Prestigious publications have praised Omega for their dedication to innovate. They made headlines in the Los Angeles Business Journal for their integration of artificial intelligence in streamlining their case processes as well as improving their clients’ experience. Notably, they’ve also been featured in the Los Angeles Times, VoyageLA, Medium, etc.
Furthermore, the team at Omega Law has garnered multiple accolades from industry-vetted organizations including SuperLawyers.com as well as Best Lawyers.
In keeping with their mission to provide quality and equitable services to their clients, they want to relieve their clients of the burden of paying any upfront fees by operating on a contingency fee basis. Schedule a free consultation now to learn more.
