Allstate Auto Insurance Claims
Motor Vehicle Collision Lawyers Serving the Chicago Area
In a car accident, you may suffer serious injuries or even the loss of a loved one. People purchase car insurance in order to provide protection in case of injuries or property damage. Allstate is a major insurance provider. If you get into a car accident that causes you injuries and property damage, you may need to file an Allstate auto insurance claim, and you may also need to hire an attorney to represent you in a personal injury lawsuit. The Chicago car accident attorneys at Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca may be able to represent you in a claim or lawsuit.
Allstate Auto Insurance Claims
There are many different types of auto insurance coverage that you can purchase from Allstate, including collision insurance, liability insurance, and uninsured motorist coverage. Each of these provides protection for different things. Collision insurance is purchased for protection in case you hit a stationary object or another car, or somebody else hits your parked car. Liability insurance coverage provides protection in case you are sued for injuring somebody else in an accident. Liability insurance coverage includes bodily injury liability coverage and property damage liability coverage. These can help to cover the injured person’s medical expenses, emergency aid, lost wages, and property damage.
After making sure that anybody who needs medical care has gotten care, including yourself, and exchanging information with the other drivers involved in the accident, you should file a claim with your own insurer. You will need to provide information and any documentation related to the crash. You can ask the claims representative about your coverage. When you buy car insurance, you choose deductibles for collision or comprehensive coverage. The deductible is how much you must pay out of pocket for repairs of your car before the coverage is triggered. You may have rental reimbursement coverage that can help pay for the cost of a car rental while your car is being repaired.
Allstate’s insurance adjustor will investigate the accident. They will look at your car to determine what was damaged and what the repairs should cost. One reason why it is important to notify the insurer of the car accident is to make sure that you give the adjustor an opportunity to investigate who was at fault for the accident in case you are sued by the other driver, and liability insurance coverage kicks in.
Although you should report an accident to Allstate when Allstate is your own insurer, in most cases it is not advisable to talk to an Allstate insurance adjustor investigating the accident on behalf of the other driver. Usually, an adjustor in this role is looking for ways in which you may have been at fault for the accident, even if the other driver’s liability seems clear. In that scenario, Allstate would owe a duty to the other driver as its insured, but not to you, and things that you say to be polite or nice could be used to build a case against you. You should consult a personal injury attorney before speaking to the adjustor for the other driver.
Even if your attorney wins at trial, your ability to recover damages usually depends on the other driver having insurance. Illinois liability insurance policies automatically include uninsured motorist coverage with the legal minimum requirements for bodily injury or death so that you are covered in case of an accident with a driver who is uninsured. Only wealthy drivers have the kinds of assets that can be seized and liquidated to pay a damages award, and in most cases, they have insurance coverage specifically to protect against a situation in which they are found negligent.
If the driver responsible for the accident is not insured or is underinsured, you may need to make a claim against your own uninsured insurance coverage. In that situation, you may be in an adversarial role with your own insurer, which steps into the shoes of the uninsured driver. It can help to have representation during that process.
Seek Assistance from a Chicago Attorney for Your Car Crash Case
If you were injured in a car accident, and you are concerned about filing an Allstate auto insurance claim, you should consult an experienced attorney about your claim. At Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca, we represent accident victims in Chicago, Quincy, Rockford, Champaign, Springfield, and Aurora, as well as other areas of Adams, Winnebago, Champaign, Sangamon, Kane, and Cook Counties. Call us at 312-724-5846 for a free consultation.