Americans in general and especially Texans, rely heavily on their automobiles. There are both good and bad things about this that can be debated. However the bottom line is that without a car, most of us are literally stranded. Automobile accidents, even less serious ones, bring everything to a grinding halt.
There are two parts to every automobile accident claim. First there is the “Bodily Injury” portion. You feel like you’ve been hit by a truck. You may have cuts, fractures, soft tissue injuries and/or a concussion. Second, and separately, there is the “Property Damage” portion of your claim.
Now, before we go further, let me remind you that insurance companies are “For Profit” Corporations. That means their primary concerns and their top priorities are shareholders and profits. Not the customers they are paid to insure. Not the Claimants who would think they could rely on the integrity of an substantial corporation to make sure they are treated fairly.
Forget about the warm fuzzy cartoon characters, animated reptiles and the heartfelt testimonials in their commercials. Ignore the catchy jingles. You and your problems with your recent auto accident are much further down on the list of priorities. Insurance companies employ attorneys, investigators, claims adjusters, and negotiators to make sure that they pay the absolute least amount of money to settle your claim. Insurance companies LOVE claimants (That’s YOU!) who don’t have attorneys to represent them and protect their rights.
For example, there are laws in Texas about what you are due, as a claimant, from an insurance company. There is a lot of fine print with those laws, too. Did you know you are often entitled to a rental car? That’s good news, right? But for how long and under what conditions? Those are the parts to be negotiated.
If your car is “totaled”, which means it’s determined that the cost to fix your car exceeds the “fair market value”, then other factors come into play. Once the insurance company has declared your car is “totaled” they are no longer obligated to provide a rental car. And who determines the “fair market value” of your car? That’s right. The insurance company. What if you owe more money on your car than an insurance company determines is “fair market value”?
An experienced law firm can help navigate the fine print and negotiate on your behalf. Your attorney represents YOU — NOT shareholders. As your attorney, we work on a “contingency fee” basis. That means we don’t make any money unless we recover money for you. You determine when you are satisfied and willing to settle your case. Our incentive is to make sure we get our clients the most money we can from the insurance company.
David S. Kohm and Associates have been protecting the rights of accident victims over 25 years. We have a highly skilled staff of attorneys, paralegals, investigators and negotiators equipped to handle all types of accident cases. We can come to you directly at your home, work location, or the hospital. Our staff can work for you to negotiate the most favorable terms from the insurance company regarding rental cars, loss of use, damage, and fair market value for your vehicle. Because we know nobody likes being stranded!
