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Understanding Car Insurance: Lane Dispute Claims
Car insurance lane dispute claims can be some of the most difficult types of claims to settle. Because of this, they sometimes can take months or years to settle. You, the claimant, won’t get paid until the claim is settled, so this process can be frustrating. Lane disputes are a common argument in insurance claims. There are many types of lane disputes that can be argued. Some of these include the following:
- The other driver cut me off.
- The other driver illegally changed lanes without signaling.
- The other driver swerved into my lane.
Because most drivers will deny liability in this type of claim, no matter what the facts are, it is always best to gather as much corroborating evidence to support your claim as you can, in order to give yourself the best chance of winning this type of insurance dispute.
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Things to Get to Support Your Claim
Here’s are a number of things you should do before you leave the scene of the accident:
- Get the names, addresses and telephone numbers of all witnesses.
- Don’t forget to check witnesses that may be in nearby stores or coffee shops.
- Write down the names and badge numbers of responding police officers.
- All the driver’s information for any other involved drivers and vehicle occupants.
You are most likely going to need more than just your word to convince the insurance adjuster from the other driver’s insurance company to win your case. Be sure to gather all the information you can.
Dealing with Insurance Adjusters
Most times when there is a lane dispute type claim, one or both insurance companies will assign an adjuster to make a complete and detailed investigation to determine fault, and which insurance company will be paying to fix the cars involved in the accident. It’s very important to be as helpful and forthcoming with the adjuster or investigator as you can. Most likely, the adjuster is going to speak with both drivers and review any police reports and eyewitness statements before negotiating with either driver for a settlement in the case. When answering questions, be as forthcoming as possible and speak in a clear and concise manner. Even if the person you are dealing with works for the other driver’s insurance company, it’s important to be clear, polite and courteous and just state the facts as you remember them.
Negotiation Time
Months and months have gone by. There’s been no decision in your lane dispute claim. Nobody will admit fault. You may have to sit down with your insurance company and the other driver’s company and negotiate some sort of settlement. In lane dispute cases, fault is quite often difficult to determine beyond doubt. Because of this difficulty, many times you will find insurance companies negotiating a 50/50 settlement. That means they are assigning liability equally to both drivers. This may be the only way to settle the case without going to court, which can sometimes take many more months. Remember, court cases can often add many hundreds, if not thousands of dollars to the final cost.
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