Why Was My Arizona Automobile Accident Claim Denied?

You have just been hit by another driver. Your car sustained damages and you are injured. What do you do next? Your first instinct may be to immediately connect with the other party’s insurance company and start filing a claim. After all, you need money for the cost of your medical treatment, car repairs, pain and suffering, and any other damages you suffered after the accident. It would be unbelievable to think that your claim could be denied.

You are not alone by thinking this way. Many people do and unfortunately, get blindsided by the hard reality that a good portion of insurance claims are denied. Statistically, the outcomes of car accident cases result in much more favorable conclusions for plaintiffs that are represented by a seasoned Arizona automobile accident attorney versus cases where the plaintiff chooses to move forward without legal representation.

The reasons behind why a claim was denied are plentiful but there are cases where actions you take can help you reduce your risk for having your claim be thrown out. Learn more about why an Arizona car accident claim may be denied and what to do to prevent it from happening to you.

What are the Reasons Behind Arizona Automobile Accident Claim Denials?

1. If the Phoenix car accident was deemed avoidable and you could have done something to stop it from happening but neglected to do so your claim may be denied. 
2. If the accident resulted because of something you did, your claim can be denied.
3. You didn’t immediately seek medical treatment for injuries you sustained from your accident. This is vitally important not only to your overall health and well-being as well as faster recovery, but also to document that the injuries were actually caused by the accident and not something unrelated to it or from a preexisting condition. Insurance companies can also argue that you are lying about your injuries or that you are faking how severe they really are.
4. The totality of costs after the accident exceed the at-fault driver’s policy limits, the limits are depleted, or the policy doesn’t have the type of coverage necessary to manage the accident.
5. The driver is not named on the car’s insurance policy weather the driver was never meant to be on the policy or if the insurance company is the one that took the driver off of the policy because of a bad driving record, your claim can be denied.
6. If you were driving recklessly or breaking the law while driving when the accident took place, your claim can be denied.

How Can You Avoid a Dispute Over a Denied Arizona Injury Claim?

Take all the steps necessary right after the accident to build up a paper trail of documentation proving your case. 

• Exchange information with the other driver
• Call the police and get a copy of their report
• Take as many pictures as possible
• Write down the details of the accident as soon as you can when they are fresh in your head
• Seek medical treatment immediately and keep all documentation, receipts, and medical writeups

The more supporting evidence you have to back up your claim, the harder it will be for the adjuster to deny it. This also helps speed up the process because it cuts out other time-consuming steps necessary for the adjuster to take on when examining your case.

Then, get legal representation from the Phoneix serious injury attorneys at ELG. Call the Phoenix personal injury attorneys at ELG today at (623) 877-3600 to schedule your free consultation.