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View Full Version : How to choose which way to claim after a car accident


spiggman
Nov 25, 2008, 09:48 AM
Greetings. My car was rear-ended by a driver (who sped off before I could get their details) and I hit another car damaging my car and injuring me. Fortunately my car showed that I was hit and I can be covered un the "Uninsured Driver" part of my policy. My insurance company are offering me 2 ways to go :
1) The "MedPay" route which covers all medicals up to $5,000.
-- or --
2) The "Uninsured Motorist" route where I will get
a) All my medical bills up to to this point in time covered
b) an "open medical agreement" where the insurance company will make
Available a fixed amount of $$ over a fixed amount of time to cover any
Upcoming medical expenses that will occur until the time span expires.

I have also been offered $1,000 to cover any lost wages and general Pain and Inconvenience ( P & I) - whether I go with options 1 or 2. So, my questions (finally) are:
What's my best way to calculate which way to go? How do I determine what I think is the right amount of time and $$ in option 2? What rights do I have to push for more time and $$ if the insurance company don't go as far as I feel is right? Is the $1,000 P & I negotiable? There are no other strings attached to either route 1 or 2 that I know of that would make one more favorable than the other (except that route 1 won't have an expiration date) so it would seem that the flexibility of route 2 with it's potential to go higher than $5,000 would be better... unless they don't let me go higher than $5k.. Any advice in this area would be most gratefully received.. Thanks.

tickle
Nov 25, 2008, 10:01 AM
I can't even begin to advise you which way to go. But the point is, and this may influence your decision. I don't know how badly you were injured but some people suffer for years after with medical conditions related to auto accidents and unless you have medical coverage you are basically, shall I say, up the creek.

spiggman
Nov 25, 2008, 10:06 AM
Hi Tickle,
Thanks for the quick response. I'm glad to say I wasn't injured badly - just a sore knee, neck and back. It wasn't that much of a hit from behind - although enough to disable my car. What with adrenalin rush and everything I didn't feel hurt until the day after. All being well some acupuncture and related treatments over the near future should take care of it but I am going to get an MRI and possibly X-ray just to be sure...

Fr_Chuck
Nov 25, 2008, 10:09 AM
What are the injuries, are they completely well now. Make sure that all medical bills done and gone before you settle first of all.

If you have future unknow medial bills, you keep the claim open till they are done.

spiggman
Nov 25, 2008, 12:30 PM
The accident only happened last Thursday 11/20 so any long-term results of the injuries are not yet known. So far all I've experienced are a sore knee, back and neck. It wasn't a very serious, high-impact accident at all. I agree with the concept of keeping things open but my choices are either - $5k open ended or possibly a larger $ amount but for a finite period... thats the kind of choice I'm trying to work out how to make...

junior88fan
Nov 30, 2008, 02:52 PM
I was in a car accident in December last year and sustained a fractured nose and 2 scars about 8 inches total length in my head. I now have headaches and looks like I may have them for an undetermined amount of time. I would not do the 5K. I would wait and see if you may have any other injuries that you do not know about. I am close to being released from my neurologist. I am trying to get an estimate of what percentage of my medical bills I should get for pain & suffering and the possibility of having headaches for an undetermined amount of time.Do you have any idea? On yours, I would wait.