What is a Property Damage Claim and What is the Process?

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What is Property Damage Claim and What is the Process?

Insurance coverage provides reimbursement when the insured property is damaged. So, if you own a car or any other valuable property, you can ask the insurance company to reimburse the damages by filing a property damage claim.

Auto insurance companies have varying policies. Generally, the reimbursement you get depends upon the circumstances of the car damage. For instance, if the other party involved was at fault in a car crash, that driver’s policy should cover your damages. However, collision coverage will pay for any car repairs needed if you are at fault. But if you do not have collision coverage, the reimbursement will not be provided when you crash into another car or inanimate object.

Regardless of your situation, it is best to seek advice from an experienced attorney to ensure you get all the coverage you deserve.

How to File for a Property Damage Claim

Property damage claims filing procedures can be lengthy, but you must make sure you file for reimbursement within three years of the damage. If you don’t, you may lose the right to get compensation because of the statute of limitations.

Here are the steps you must follow:

• Report the Accident
• The first step is to report the accident to the police. You can fill out an online report or go to the station directly for this.
• Submit the Property Damage Claim

The next step is to submit the claim to the insurance company. If you were responsible for the accident, you would file the claim with your own insurer. However, if another driver is at fault, you can file a claim with their insurance company. But when you file the claim using the second option, receiving compensation without a hitch may be challenging. In this case, you may need help from an attorney to prove the other party’s fault.

Meet with the Claim Adjuster

A claim adjuster handles your property damage claim. When you speak to them, be very careful of your words. Do not talk about fault, one way or the other. You have to reclaim the value of the vehicle lost in the crash. Moreover, if the other party was at fault, they are required to get you a rental car during the time your car is being repaired.

Sign a Release Upon Settlement

Once you reach a settlement, you have to sign a release form that prevents you from seeking further compensation for the property damage in the future. It is best to get legal advice.

Do you plan to file a property damage claim? Bell & Pollock P.C. can help.

Now a Word from Gary Bell

Auto Legal Talk

By Gary Bell of Bell & Pollock Injury Attorneys

Colorado’s statute defines a crosswalk as that portion of a roadway ordinarily included within the prolongation or connection of the lateral lines of sidewalks at intersections or any portion of a roadway distinctly indicated for pedestrian crossing by lines or other marking on the surface. This definition is difficult to understand. Since crosswalks aren’t just white paint but exist at every corner, what do you do? If you’re a driver, how do you know when to stop for someone crossing the street? If you’re on foot, how do you know when to step out into traffic?

At an uncontrolled intersection (no signals, signs, or marked crosswalks), if a pedestrian is standing on the sidewalk or off of the roadway and has not stepped out onto the roadway, so as to indicate an intention to cross the street, you are not required to stop. But, you must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians within a crosswalk that is in the same half of the roadway as the vehicle, or when a pedestrian is approaching closely enough from the opposite side of the roadway to be in a danger.

Pedestrians must yield the right-of-way to vehicles when crossing outside of a marked crosswalk or an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection. Pedestrians may not unnecessarily stop or delay traffic while in a crosswalk.

Crossing a busy street, even at a crosswalk, is dangerous! You must remain aware of the dangers of crossing the street as cars and pedestrians don’t mix. In 2006, 1,451 pedestrians were killed on roads where there was a crosswalk, but it was not being used or utilized correctly. More than 500 pedestrians died while using a crosswalk. In total, there were more than 4,700 pedestrian deaths on U.S. roads that year. The most dangerous time of a day for a pedestrian is between 8:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. On the weekend, it’s even more hazardous during those times.

If you were a pedestrian who was injured when struck by a car while crossing the street, contact the experienced attorneys of Bell and Pollock to provide you with a “legal game plan.” Pedestrians have rights too. Let us find the insurance to cover your injuries and losses as a result of the negligence of another driver.

To Learn Even More . . .

Visit our website to listen to the show on this subject and all of our other radio shows on various legal topics.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in today’s newsletter, or questions on other legal issues, give our office a call and one of our attorneys would be happy to talk with you.

More Information

Get more information about your rights and options following an accident by checking out one of our helpful BOOKS: THEY ARE FREE.

• Don’t Get Hurt Twice in the Same Accident – This enlightening guide dispels some of the most common (and harmful) myths about car crashes, insurance companies, attorneys, and financial recoveries.
• The Essential Guide to Car Insurance in Colorado – This guide helps all drivers better understand car insurance. If you’ve ever had a question about a claim, dispute or car insurance in general, this is a must-read.
• Cowards of the Street: Hit & Run – This book uncovers the facts about hit and runs and how to financially recover from these crashes. It also shares about what you can do to protect yourself before and after a hit and run accident occurs.
• Colorado’s Workers’ Compensation: The Ultimate Guide – This insightful book reveals everything you need to know in order to protect your rights as a worker – and to position a Colorado workers’ compensation claim for success.
• Legal Game Plan – This educational book helps you better understand insurance company’s hidden game plan…and come up with one on your own!
• Motorcycle Accidents (or How to Go Full Throttle Against the Insurance Companies) – This informative read will help motorcyclists come up with a plan of action to combat the insurance agencies. If you ride a motorcycle, you need this book.
• 18 Mistakes You Could Make to Destroy Your Injury Claim – Found within is a precise guide regarding a trove of detailed mistakes one should avoid when pursuing a successful resolution to ones case. This work helps answer questions and details advice to protect oneself from common pitfalls and perils associated with a compensation claim.
• Distracted Driving and Your Injury Claim – This comprehensive work assists all drivers in understanding the dangers of distracted driving and its relationship to your injury claim.
• Premises Liability (Landowner Responsibility and Injury Recovery) – This definitive piece renders the details behind the history of the Premises Liability Law in Colorado and highlights examples of responsibility which further offers a practical guide for injured victims.

Call our office to request copies of our books. THEY ARE FREE. You can also request a copy of any (or all) of these books on our website. You can download a free electronic copy anytime. And be sure to tune in to our weekly radio show to learn more about a variety of legal topics.