Insurance Claim - Include medical AND auto damages in claim?

[courteouscowboy]

I'm in Washington.

I'm receiving medical care and plan on making a claim. I know that it's possible my insurance will bill me later for medical costs after I receive money from the defendant's insurance. I'm getting PIP and collision coverage from my insurance company in the meantime, and usually one's own insurance company does the leg work to receive compensation from the liable party's insurance company.

I know that typically, one includes all the medical costs for this reason.

What I don't know is:

-Do I claim the appraised value of my vehicle as well?

-Will my insurance still attempt to get compensation from the other company, if I'm making a claim?

My concern is that I won't include my vehicle in the claim, and the liable party's company will consider it a closed case and not reimburse my company, and my company will pursue me.

OR I'll include all damages in the claim, and that number will be so big that they refuse to budge from their low ball offer until taken to court.

That's it for now, thank you!

 

[adjusterjack]

Do I claim the appraised value of my vehicle as well?

No. Your own company is paying for your car damage. It now has the right of subrogation against the other driver through his insurance company.

Will my insurance still attempt to get compensation from the other company, if I'm making a claim?

That's up to your insurance company. I've never heard of any insurance company not subrogating against an at-fault driver. It's usually pretty routine as the vehicle claim is handled separately from the injury claim.

My concern is that I won't include my vehicle in the claim, and the liable party's company will consider it a closed case and not reimburse my company, and my company will pursue me.

Your company pursue you for what?

OR I'll include all damages in the claim, and that number will be so big that they refuse to budge from their low ball offer until taken to court.

If that happens you sue the other driver. If your damages are more than Washington's small claims limit, you'll need a personal injury attorney.

 

[courteouscowboy]

Thank you! Although, if car damages are often handled separately from personal injury, why do personal injury calculators include a spot for auto damage costs?

 

[adjusterjack]

I have no idea. The cost of repairing or replacing the vehicle has nothing to do with the value of the injury claim. You could be in a $50,000 car or a $1000 junker and the value of the injury claim wouldn't be different.

Maybe it's for accident victims who either don't carry collision coverage or prefer not to make a claim on their own policy.

Although why the latter would apply is beyond me because, when liability is clear, insurance companies typically pay for the vehicle damage rather quickly while leaving the injury claim open until the victim recovers, or reaches maximum medical improvement, and can quantify the claim.