When a commercial driver is in an accident with your business’s vehicle, you can easily appreciate having commercial auto insurance in place. It can help cover the losses you suffer from your vehicle’s damage. It also helps you cover losses related to the other driver. Sometimes, you may end up in court
as well due to liability claims. Will auto insurance help you then, too?
When an Accident Occurs
When a commercial auto accident occurs, it becomes critical to protect your risks.
As a business, you are at a higher risk of paying larger claims as a result of injuries and property loss caused to other people.
For example, if your commercial truck causes damage to a passenger vehicle, you may be more prone to facing larger liability claims. Consumers are more likely to take steps to file a claim with commercial auto insurance policies for larger losses. That is just one of the reasons to have comprehensive commercial auto insurance.
When an incident like this occurs, document every detail. Maintain all information as well. Then, contact your insurance company to file the claim. The auto insurance company handles the other party’s claims. They should deal with any claims filed for property damage or medical damage. Every policy has its limits, but most commercial auto insurance policies should offer a significant amount of coverage to you per accident.
When They Do Not Settle
There are instances in which the driver of the passenger vehicle will not settle the claim. This may occur because they do not believe they are receiving adequate compensation for their losses. Pain and suffering claims, for example, are very much hard to prove. Many times, insurance companies deny them. In this situation, you may end up in court.
Your commercial auto insurance company often can continue to help you. They usually provide you with legal representation in this situation. Many times, you do not have to go to the court hearings – they handle that for you. However, every policy has limits. As a result of this, if a judge rules that you are responsible for damages above and beyond what the policy covers, you may still be responsible for those losses.
Any time you are facing a claim like this, work with your agent. Discuss what your options are. Learn how much commercial auto insurance protection you have for these risks.
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