CAR DAMAGED IN AUTO ACCIDENT – NO INSURANCE OR LIABILITY ONLY
Many people who are in a MN car accident or car crash only have liability coverage for their automobile. That is, they don’t have full collision coverage. Our lawyers are frequently called in this situation. Minnesota law requires that every vehicle be insured before it can legally be driven. However, that requirement only extends to liability insurance. Liability only insurance pays for the damage to someone else’s car if the crash is your fault. It also pays if you cause an auto accident and injure someone. But you are not required to have insurance to cover damage to your own car in a crash- that decision is up to you.
Collision insurance covers your vehicle’s damage from a crash that is your fault.Comprehensive insurance covers damage for other reasons, e.g. flood or fire.Most people decide whether to get this insurance by comparing the value of their car or truck to the cost of the insurance. If your car is only worth $2,000, you may decide not to get full coverage because the insurance premium is too high compared to the value of the car. In that case, you understand that if the accident is your fault, you have to pay for the damage to your vehicle.
OTHER DRIVER AT FAULT IN ACCIDENT
Unfortunately, we see many situations where our clients did not cause the car accident, but the other driver’s auto insurance still refuses to pay. Either the other driver won’t admit the accident was his fault or the insurance company won’t admit it was their driver’s fault. Then our car accident lawyers are asked: How do I get paid for the damage to my car when the car crash was the other driver’s fault and I only have liability insurance?
The answer is that you first should help the other driver’s insurance company adjuster understand that the auto accident was their driver’s fault. Provide them with the police report and photographs. You should also calmly explain to the adjuster how the accident happened.
However, DO NOT give the adjuster a recorded statement. This is particularly important if you or a passenger in your car may have been injured. You are focused on your immediate problem – getting your car fixed. Therefore, you are less likely to give full attention to questions about your injuries from the accident. If the conversation is recorded, it will be used against you later if your injuries turn out to be more serious than you expected. For more information, see How Do I Get Paid For The Damage To My Car.
REPRESENT YOURSELF FOR VEHICLE DAMAGE ONLY
If you can’t come to an agreement with the insurance adjuster about the damage to your car or truck, you can take your case to conciliation court. (The current limit for claims in conciliation court is $15,000. Check conciliation court rules for changes.) However, be aware that you can only bring a car accident claim to court once. That means if you sue in conciliation court for damage to your vehicle, you may be giving up any future claim for injuries. Therefore, we strongly suggest you call us and speak with a lawyer about the crash if you are having difficulty settling your claim for car damage.
FREE CONSULTATION WITH A LAWYER FOR YOUR CAR ACCIDENT
We are Minnesota attorneys. Our personal injury lawyers have over 25 years’ experience successfully handling hundreds of car accident injury cases. A lawyer will provide you with a free initial consultation. Further, we always only charge a percentage of the compensation you receive from your case. We provide big firm experience and small firm attention.
You can meet a MN car accident attorney at our offices in Minneapolis, Edina, Woodbury, and St. Louis Park. We also meet people at their homes in many surrounding cities including Chaska, Chanhassen, Lakeville, Burnsville, and Maple Grove. Our car accident lawyers also come to Brooklyn Center, St. Paul, Roseville, and Forest Lake. Plus, other cities throughout Minnesota such as Albert Lea MNand St. Cloud. You can contact us by calling or emailing from the web site contact information.