How Do You Obtain an Estimate For Your Repair Value of Your Car Following Your Car Accident?

It’s a pretty standard procedure but the first thing is first. You’re going to need to get in contact with the insurance company for the defendant and chances are they’re going to have a list of preferred shops that they would like you to take your car to.

If you do not use their preferred list, then there’s a distinct possibility that they will not cover the actual repairs. So it is to your benefit to take your vehicle to a – someone who’s on their list, someone who’s an accepted shop and someone they’re willing to actually pay the bills for.

I would encourage you just as an aside, to try to make sure that they do not use aftermarket parts on your car. What I mean by aftermarket is that the actual parts that they’re using are being taken off of used cars. You would like them to use new parts when replacing and repairing your vehicle following your car accident.

Once you’ve called the insurance company of the defendant, they’re going to do one of two things. Either they will send an appraiser out to have a look at your vehicle, if it’s not drive-able, to assess what the damage is and to give a general assessment of what they think the costs are going to be as far as getting the vehicle repaired or they will simply direct you to take your car to the repair shop directly as opposed to sending out an appraiser.

Another important fact to consider in a way to protect yourself is that you’re going to need to get more than one estimate to determine what the repairs of your car are in fact going to be.

It’s just like with the doctor or lawyer or anything else. You’re always going to want to get a second opinion. So after you take your car to the initial place that the insurance company suggests, feel free to go to a second or a third shop and get a second and a third estimate because the idea is, is that you want to get a much more comprehensive picture of what the repairs are actually going to cost to get your vehicle fixed.

Again, I would talk to all of the shops that you’re discussing with to make sure that they do not use aftermarket parts when repairing your vehicle.

If you’ve recently been in a car accident, contact The Hartman Law Firm at 843-300-7600 today.

Hard Facts Surrounding the Use of a Moped on South Carolina Highways.

Fatalities have risen over the past five years all the way up until 2012. In 2012, there were 37 fatalities associated with moped use and in 2013, it actually dropped but in the first half of 2014, we’re actually on pace to double that of 2013 which would put us somewhere in the range of between 40 and 50 people who lose their lives on South Carolina roads as a result of using mopeds, which begs the question, “What is a moped?”

A moped is a vehicle that usually sells for less than $1000. It gets anywhere between 80 to 100 miles per gallon and its typical top speed at least according to South Carolina law should be no more than 25 miles per hour.

However, some people take the restrictor plate off of their mopeds and so they’re able to go faster. That technically takes them out of the moped context and into a scooter which requires a license but it’s kind of in the gray area of the law.

The significant thing about a moped is it doesn’t require you to have a driver’s license in order to get one. Obviously with any pros with regard to a moped, there’s going to be some cons and that certainly is the case with this particular mode of transportation.

It is not illegal for you to use a moped in going over the Arthur Ravenel bridge. However, you are putting yourself in danger in the sense that you are typically going to be able to go maybe 30 or 35 miles per hour if you’re lucky because of the limitation of the motor and you have cars that are sometimes exceeding 55 miles an hour who are negotiating traffic around you.

It has certainly been borne out in statistics because there are a lot of people who are getting hurt and even killed on the Arthur Ravenel bridge because they’re trying to navigate that particular avenue, all which leads me to a public service announcement which is the sorts of things that you can do to protect yourself if you choose a moped as your primary form of transportation.

South Carolina Transportation Department suggests that you use reflective clothing and that you put blinkers on either your helmet or your moped or both and more importantly even though it’s not required by South Carolina law, I would strongly encourage anyone who uses this mode of transportation to use a helmet because it can be the difference between life and death.

If you’ve been involved in a moped accident and you need help, call The Hartman Law Firm at 843-300-7600 today.

How To Buy an Auto Accident Policy

The biggest problem that I run into is just people being unaware of the potential possibilities out there as far as the sorts of things that you can add to your auto insurance premium.

Everyone is familiar with the concept of liability coverage because it’s required by the state. Liability is the sort of coverage where you go out and if you’re at fault in a wreck, then someone can make a claim against you for not only their property damage but they can make a claim for any bodily injuries that may have resulted as a result of the accident.

However, there are some other options that you probably aren’t aware of that potentially your insurance agent hasn’t brought up. Something else that’s required of course is uninsured motorist coverage and that’s also required by the state.

That is needed in the event that the driver that strikes you does not have any liability insurance. In other words, he doesn’t pay for insurance and his car is uninsured. That is the reason for UM under South Carolina law.

There is another type of insurance that is not that – the public is not that familiar with and that’s called “underinsured motorist coverage”. In my opinion, it’s quite possibly the most important form of insurance coverage that you can potentially take on your policy. By way of example, on my car, I have 100/300 coverage and the reason why that is, is in the event that the defendant who hits me who’s at fault, if I get really hurt and he only has $25,000, I can go back on my underinsured motorist coverage and I could be made whole by my own insurance coverage because my medical bills are $60,000 and I’ve got a broken leg and I’m going to have some sort of permanent injury.

I’m going to need that extra $100,000 in coverage in order to be able to even pay my medical bills much less be able to walk away with anything for my pain and suffering.

The last particular option I can think of that you would want to consider for your insurance policy is what’s called MedPay or personal injury protection and that varies state by state as to what it’s called.

But it is a no-fault version of insurance that essentially says that if you’re involved in a car wreck and injuries happen as a result and you’ve got medical bills that require payment, there’s a one-time no-fault payment in the amount of $1000, $5000 or $10,000 that you can receive from your own insurance company provided you provide them with the medical records and the bills that are associated with that accident.

Again it’s no fault and it’s something you should definitely consider paying 10 or 15 bucks extra a month. The last and final thing that I would talk about is collision coverage which a lot of you may be familiar with.

The truth of the matter is this collision coverage is – it’s the sort of coverage wherein the event that you’re involved in a wreck, your insurance company is going to either repair your vehicle or they’re going to blue book it out. They’re going to total your vehicle out. If you don’t have collision coverage and it’s your fault, then ultimately you’re without a car and you got to figure out how you’re going to pay for it.

Collision would actually cover you in that instance. But typically insurance companies don’t suggest that you carry collision coverage if your car reaches a certain value in the sense that it has gotten a lot older and it’s just – the cost benefit analysis just isn’t there. It’s not worth having the collision coverage and paying the extra insurance premium for it.

If you have questions concerning your auto accident, be sure to call The Hartman Law Firm at 843-300-7600

Making A Claim On Your Own Insurance Policy - Will Your Premium Go Up?

The answer to that question is probably not. Obviously in life there are no immediate certainties but the truth of the matter is if you’re in a car accident and it’s not your fault and you have to make a claim on your insurance policy, for the most part your insurance company is more likely than not – they’re not going to drop you from your policy and they’re not going to increase your premium for the simple reason that you weren’t at fault for the wreck.

I find that this is one of the primary anxieties that I encounter when dealing with new clients who have just recently been involved in car accident cases and specifically the scenario that I’m talking about is where you have someone who has been in a significant wreck. They’ve got significant injuries, broken bones or otherwise. Significant exposure in the sense that their emergency room bills are in the tens of thousands and then you find out that the defendant has $25,000 in coverage.

So now, you’re going to get the money from the defendant but you’re going to have to turn around and you’re going to have to go back to your own under-insured motorist coverage and then people become worried. OK. Well, if I make a claim on my under-insured motorist coverage, is this in fact going to either affect my overall premium in the sense that I’m going to be paying more next year or is my insurance company going to drop you entirely for actually making a claim?

Again the answer is a provisional no. Typically not. They shouldn’t be doing that and in that sense, I’m here to lay your concerns. If in fact it’s needed, you should definitely use your under-insured motorist coverage or your UM because at the end of the day, those injuries and that potential permanent injury is something you’re going to be living with forever.

You pay those insurance premiums for a reason. There’s a reason why you carry it on your car.

If you've been involved in an auto accident or have questions, I would strongly encourage you to contact The Hartman Firm at 843-300-7600.