COMMON CAR ACCIDENT QUESTIONS — AND ANSWERS
Question: My car is badly damaged, and really cannot be driven.
How do I go about getting a loaner car from a rental company?
Answer: You should call YOUR Insurance Company, rather than that of the other Driver, even if the Other Driver was at Fault, and you expect the Other Driver’s Insurance Company to pay for the accident, and its consequences.
It’s YOUR Insurance Company that has an on-going relationship with you, and usually seems to value that relationship. Request that the car rental company — whether Hertz, Enterprise, or some other company — and they will bill YOUR Insurance Company directly. Later, YOUR Insurance Company will get reimbursed the Other Driver’s Insurance Company.
Question: What about repairs to my car? Who handles that?
Answer: Again, you should call YOUR Insurance Company, and ask them for a list of those Repair Shops near you, that are on your Insurance Company’s list of recommended Repair Shops. You can go ahead and have them do the repairs. That way, you know that you’ll get a reasonably good job done, and YOUR Insurance Company will NOT allow that Repair Shop to “pad” the bill.
Question: After my car is repaired, will the PINK SLIP show that it has been in an accident, thus affecting its Resale Value?
Answer: Yes, unfortunately, the PINK SLIP will show that your car has been repaired after an accident, but hopefully, it won’t have a dramatic effect on the Resale Value.
Question: How do I get a copy of the POLICE REPORT concerning my car accident?
Answer: At the time of the accident, one of the Police Officers will give you their card, identifying who they are, and what office / department / location to contact. There should be a phone number on that card. The next day, you should call that number, and you may have to call a couple of times more. By that time, you should have retained a Los Angeles Personal Injury Attorney, and that attorney can also place a few telephone calls for you, to the Police Department.
Question: How do I find a Personal Injury Attorney (“PI”)?
Answer: You may have hired an attorney in the past, and you might start the selection process by calling that attorney that you already know. Or you might want to ask your friends, who handled their cases? Because there are very few drivers on the road that haven’t had at least one car accident. Or you might go on-line, and if you do, my personal recommendation would be to contact “L.A. Jewish Lawyer,” since I’ve had great success with the attorney that they suggested.
Question: How do I find a Medical Doctor or Chiropractor?
Answer: Similar to the previous answer, you might start with contacting one of the doctors that you already, and asking them for a recommendation. Let’s say — for example — that you have an OB-GYN that you’ve been seeing for years. Call their office, and if possible, actually speak with the OB-GYN, rather than a staffer, and ask them.
Next, you should ask your attorney. Most Personal Injury Attorneys (“PI”) have a network of Medical Doctors, Chiropractors, and even Surgeons that they’ve referred clients / patients to in the past. Many of these Medical Doctors, Chiropractors, and even Surgeons will treat you on a “Lien,” which means that they won’t bill you for your treatment — or even surgery — and won’t submit the bills to your insurance company. Instead, the will be patient, and when you’ve settled your insurance claim, then they get paid, often at a major discount from their invoices.
Since these particular Medical Doctors, Chiropractors, and even Surgeons are familiar with car accidents, insurance claims, and civil lawsuits, they understand the kind of detailed reports that insurance companies will demand. These health care professionals are no different from others that will not accept patients on a “lien,” it’s just that they will be willing to take the time to prepare a suitable report at the end of your treatment, clearly justifying their diagnoses, therapy, and making recommendations for future treatment, which eventuality may comprise a significant portion of your claim.
But no matter what the question, there are professionals that have the answers … you
just have to be patient, and find them.