Auto insurance is meant to provide compensation to those who have been in an accident to pay for vehicle repairs and medical expenses. If you are involved in a car accident, you will want to contact your insurance company to file a claim. Once the company has the claim, it will carry out the process to reach a settlement.
After a claims adjuster receives the claim and confirms that you are indeed covered, then the process moves through an investigative phase. If all goes well, you will receive compensation from your insurance company to cover auto repairs and medical bills.
In regard to having your vehicle repaired, you may be asked by the claims adjuster to use a shop approved by the insurance company to get an estimate. Or, you could be requested to take the vehicle around to different shops of your choosing to get comparative quotes. You could also take the car to get fixed at a shop of your choice, but you may end up with some out-of-pocket expenses if their prices exceed what the insurer deems is fair.
Insofar as medical bills are concerned, you will have to provide your adjuster with proof of your expenses. The adjuster may also ask that you allow the insurance company to have access to your medical records. It may not be in your best interest to do this as the insurance company may be able to use some aspect of your medical history as a reason to decrease your claim.
There are many possible pitfalls when working with an insurance company. They may be disinclined to pay you the full measure of compensation to which you are entitled. They may even attempt to use your own medical records as a basis for doing this.
As such, if you are ever in a car accident, you may wish to have a Pennsylvania personal injury attorney act as representation when dealing with an insurance company. An attorney who is acquainted with the terms of insurance policies may be able to help secure the best possible settlement.