What To Do When the Insurance Adjuster Won’t Return Your Calls After a Car Accident in Fort Walton Beach

Paul Brannon | May 19, 2023 | Car Accident

What To Do When the Insurance Adjuster Won’t Return Your Calls After a Car Accident in Fort Walton Beach

After an accident in Fort Walton Beach, you should generally contact your no-fault car insurance provider to file a claim. Florida requires all drivers to have PIP coverage that pays benefits regardless of who causes the accident. 

However, you might also have a claim against the at-fault driver if you sustained serious injuries or if your losses exceed your policy limits. Therefore, you might also need to contact the insurance company for the other driver. If so, the company should open a claim and assign an insurance adjuster to investigate the claim. 

Unfortunately, the adjuster assigned to your case might not call you back. Unreturned calls from insurance adjusters are a common problem for accident victims. Some reasons an insurance company won’t call you back include:

  • The adjuster is delaying the claim to avoid paying damages.
  • The insurance can’t get ahold of the person at fault for the car accident. 
  • The at-fault driver won’t contact the insurance company to make a statement.
  • The insurance company believes it is not liable for your claim.
  • The insurance adjuster is on vacation or out of work because of an illness. 

Of course, the reason for an insurance company not responding to a claim could be clerical. The claim could have been overlooked or mistakenly entered into the system. An insurance adjuster might be overly busy, or a new adjuster might have your claim.

You have several options if an adjuster won’t return your calls after an accident in Fort Walton Beach. Knowing these options could help you receive the compensation you deserve when another driver is at fault for causing an accident. 

What To Do When an Insurance Company Won’t Respond

What should you do if an adjuster refuses to call you back after an accident in Fort Walton Beach? You have two options that might work for your situation. 

File a Claim With Your Insurance Provider

If you have collision insurance coverage on your car insurance policy, you can file a claim with your insurance company. It might not be the best solution, but it could take some pressure off of you while you continue to pursue a claim against the at-fault driver’s insurance provider. Contact an attorney before you move forward with this option.

Contact a Lawyer To File a Lawsuit

If you call the insurance company’s customer service line and still receive no response, you might consider filing a personal injury lawsuit. A Fort Walton Beach car accident lawyer can review your case during a free consultation to determine if filing a lawsuit is your best option. The insurance company is forced to respond to the claim when you sue its insured.

Hiring a car accident attorney might make the insurance company respond to your claim. Insurance companies try to minimize the amount of money a car accident claim costs the company. Therefore, the threat of a lawsuit might be sufficient to encourage the company to negotiate a settlement for your claim. 

How Does a Car Accident Insurance Claim Work in a Fort Walton Beach Accident?

Your first insurance claim should be filed with your PIP insurance provider. Regardless of who caused the accident, you can receive up to 80% of your medical bills and 60% of your lost wages from your PIP provider. However, you must seek medical treatment within 14 days from the accident date and follow all requirements under your insurance contract.

If you do not sustain serious injuries or did not exceed your policy limits, you are limited to filing a PIP claim under Florida insurance laws. However, if the accident causes serious injuries, you can file a personal injury claim against the at-fault driver.

You have the burden of proving the other driver caused the car crash and that your injuries meet the serious injury threshold. If you prove your case, you can receive economic and non-economic damages for your claim. These damages are substantially more comprehensive than the damages available under a no-fault insurance policy.

Damages for a liability insurance claim can include:

The value of your damages depends on the severity of your injuries and other factors. A Fort Walton Beach personal injury lawyer can tell you how much your case is worth.

If you’ve been involved in a car accident and the insurance adjuster is not calling you back, reach out to an experienced attorney for help. A lawyer can protect your rights and interests and handle your claim from start to finish.

In addition, do not wait too long to seek legal advice about an accident claim. Florida recently changed the statute of limitations for negligence claims. Instead of four years to file your claim, you now have two years to file a lawsuit for accidents that take place on or after March 24, 2023. 

If you need legal assistance, contact the Destin car accident lawyers at Brannon & Brannon Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers at your nearest location to schedule a free consultation today.

We have two convenient locations in Northwest Florida:

Brannon & Brannon Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers – Destin Office
4507 Furling Ln Suite 214
Destin, FL 32541
(850) 790-0243

Brannon & Brannon Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers – Fort Walton Beach Office
975 Mar Walt Dr
Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547
(850) 863-5297