Can I Seek Compensation for Property Damages After a Car Accident?

In the event you or somebody you care about sustains an injury or property damage in a vehicle accident, you should be able to recover compensation for your losses. This is particularly true if the accident is caused by the actions of another driver on the roadway. Here, we want to outline the steps that you need to take to ensure that you recover compensation for your property damages after a car accident occurs.

Property Damage Can be Fixed Through Insurance

Vehicle accidents regularly lead to property damage. In some cases, property damage is relatively minor, but that is not always the situation. In some cases, crash victims are left without a vehicle for weeks while repairs are ongoing.

In North Carolina, individuals should be able to recover compensation for their property damage expenses if the incident was caused by the actions of another driver on the roadway. Currently, drivers in NC are required to carry a minimum of $25,000 in property damage liability coverage. This means that if another driver causes your crash, and if they are properly insured, you should be able to receive at least $25,000 in property damage coverage to repair or replace your vehicle. In some cases, drivers have more insurance than the minimum legal requirement.

If the other driver is not insured at the time the accident occurs, North Carolina is one of the few states that requires individuals to carry uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage for property damage, at a minimum of $25,000. If you are legally insured, then you should have $25,000 worth of coverage to handle your vehicle replacement or repair.

Do You Get a Rental While Your Vehicle Undergoes Repairs?

When a vehicle has to undergo repairs, or if the vehicle is totaled, this can leave individuals wondering how they will get from point A to point B throughout the process. It is not uncommon for individuals to include rental vehicle coverage in their personal insurance policy. This is meant to be used in this exact situation.

If your vehicle is undergoing repair, or if you have to buy a new vehicle after a crash, you will be able to use your rental vehicle coverage for a certain amount of days, depending on the type of rental vehicle coverage you chose for your policy. Your personal insurance carrier will be responsible for pursuing repayment of the rental vehicle coverage from the at-fault driver’s insurance carrier.

What if You Caused the Crash?

If you were responsible for causing a vehicle accident, then you will not be able to recover compensation from the other driver’s insurance carrier. In some states, individuals are able to recover compensation from the other driver if they are partially at fault for a vehicle accident. However, North Carolina operates under a “contributory negligence” system. This means that if an individual is even 1% at fault for an incident, they will not be able to seek compensation from the other party involved.

For your property damage expenses, you will have to turn to your own insurance coverage. If you have full collision coverage, then you will be able to receive compensation for vehicle repairs up to the limits of your policy.

Call our Raleigh car accident lawyers today.