Car accidents can happen in an instant, but their impacts may be felt for a lifetime, depending on the force of the collision and the injuries sustained. Many people need to file an auto insurance claim against another driver's insurance or against their own, if the other driver is uninsured or underinsured. If you were injured in a car accident and are concerned about bringing a Nationwide auto insurance claim, you should consult an experienced attorney. At Sharifi Firm, our Los Angeles car accident lawyers may be able to represent you in a lawsuit for damages.
Nationwide Auto Insurance ClaimsNationwide car insurance can cover bodily injuries and property damage to a vehicle. In California, drivers are required to carry a minimum of $15,000 per person with a $30,000 accident minimum. They are also supposed to cover $5,000 minimum in property damage liability coverage. The uninsured motorist bodily coverage minimum is $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident. Some drivers purchase coverage from Nationwide that is more than these minimums because in most cases, the minimum does not cover the damages after a serious car accident.
In most cases, there are two parts to liability car insurance: property damage coverage and bodily injury coverage. Property damage insurance will cover property losses associated with an accident, such as repairing a car. Bodily injury coverage is supposed to pay the costs for people who are injured or killed in accidents that are covered and that you caused.
After a serious accident, the damages may be thousands of dollars, or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. For example, if someone is catastrophically injured and can no longer work due to paralysis or brain damage, they may need more than $1 million for the losses sustained in a car accident. Most people cannot afford those kinds of significant losses without bringing a lawsuit. Insurance coverage from Nationwide or another insurer may cover some or all of the losses. When only some of the losses are covered by a policy, a negligent driver faces the possibility that their personal assets will be seized to pay for an accident victim's additional damages beyond the coverage amount. People who have substantial assets should purchase higher limits than what is mandated under California law to avoid having their assets seized.
After a collision, drivers and passengers should check their physical condition. If there are injuries, law enforcement should be called. The person calling should make sure that the 911 dispatcher has as many details as possible about the location of the accident. If possible, the drivers should exchange information, including their names, addresses, phone numbers, insurers, insurance policy numbers, and license numbers as well as license plate numbers.
Law enforcement officers should respond to an accident in which there are injuries. They will likely interview both drivers and any other witnesses to the accident to determine what the cause or causes of the accident were. They may issue citations as appropriate. For example, if a passenger says that the driver of the other vehicle was texting when the accident occurred, the police may cite the other driver for texting while driving, which is against the law. The police report, as well as any photos taken of the damage and injuries at the scene, may later become important evidence in your insurance claim and any resulting lawsuit.
Nationwide asks its insured policyholders to submit insurance claims promptly after an accident. The individual insurance policy will determine what is covered by the policy. In some cases, both property damage and a rental car are covered by an insurance policy. However, if you were injured in an accident and are concerned about recovering damages, you should consult a personal injury attorney before talking to the other party's insurer, whether that is Nationwide or another insurer. An insurer for the other party may try to find a way in which you were responsible for the accident, even if the liability of the other party seems clear-cut. Your damages can be reduced by the percentage to which a jury finds you at fault for a car accident.
Get Advice and Advocacy from a Car Accident Attorney in Los AngelesIf you were injured or a loved one was killed in a car accident, and you are concerned about a Nationwide auto insurance claim, you should contact an experienced Los Angeles attorney so that you can obtain the compensation that you are entitled to receive. At Sharifi Firm, APC, our experienced attorneys can provide knowledgeable legal representation. Contact us at (866) 422-7222 or via our online form. We also represent people in Temecula, San Bernardino, Rancho Cucamonga, Glendale, Covina, and Riverside.