How to settle with ICBC without a lawyer?
Dec 26, 2020
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In Canada, ICBC usually offers medical benefits and recover money for a car accident victim. In order to avail of these facilities and benefits, one needs to claim compensation under ICBC. For claiming the settlement, you need to go through and follow several steps.
Usually, people hire or call an injury lawyer for doing all these claim processes on their behalf of them. But you can also settle with ICBC without a lawyer. For doing that you may have to follow certain steps and you need to be prepared with some necessary documents and paperwork.
In this article, we will try to briefly discuss how can you settle with ICBC without a lawyer. Keep reading to learn more!
Do you really need a lawyer?
First and foremost, generally, you need a lawyer when you need to negotiate with the insurance company. And a lawyer can help you by maximizing the settlement amount as much as possible. In contrast, an insurance company will try to minimize compensation.
The insurer always tries to save money for the insurance company. In those cases, you can fight for a fair settlement by yourself. It is sometimes a complex process, but if you know how to do that, then you are more likely to succeed in it.
How to settle with ICBC?
If you want to have a fair settlement, then you need to know how to settle with ICBC by yourself. That is why you may follow some steps. Those steps will help you toward winning the settlement case. Those steps for a settlement claim with ICBC include the following:
- Collect all the important information from the accident
- Seek medical help
- Collect a copy of the police report
- Report the incident with ICBC
- Be prepared to go for a trial.
Below are given a clear cut explanation for all these steps.
· Collect all the important information from the accident:
These are the very first and very important steps that you need to do after an accident. First, you have to call the emergency to let them know about the accident. Then a police team will try to arrive at the scene as early as possible. Afterwards, they will create accident reports.
Thereafter, you need to collect a copy of that police report. Try to collect the name and every information about the drivers that were involved in that accident. Now, try to collect the name and contact information of the witnesses. Besides, take photos of the accident scene as much as you can. All these reports and information will help you in the further procedure.
· Seek medical help:
After an accident, if you are able to move, then go to your nearest hospital as early as possible. If you are not in that condition to go to the hospital, then seek medical help. You need to examine the injuries and get emergency treatment.
The doctor or hospital will provide you with some medical reports and paper which helps you in the claim process. Sometimes, ICBC also can ask for this paper for the injury claim. Do not take it simply, try to follow up the doctor's instructions and collect all these billing document and receipt.
· Collect a copy of the police report:
The next thing you need to do is to collect a copy of the accident report that was issued by the police. When the police team reports the accident, you need to ask them for a copy of that. This copy will play a very important role in the injury claim process and prove the other party's fault.
This types of report usually include all the basic information of the accident' scene, such as driver's information, accident time, and so on. You may need to pay a small fee for that copy. But this copy will help you a lot in future procedures.
· Report the incident with ICBC:
After doing all these things, the next and most important thing you need to do is to report the incident with ICBC. No matter who is at fault, you or the other driver. You need to inform the ICBC about the accident and damages. You can contact them through their official phone number.
You can also report the incident online, which will take around 10-15 minutes. But in that online procedure, you must mention some information. That information includes the location of the accident, driver's information, damages, and contact information of the witnesses.
· Be prepared to go for a trial:
Sometimes, it becomes necessary to go on a trail. When the ICBC injury claim is not settled, then you should take the case to court. After that, the judge will examine the incident and situation, and then they will determine an estimated compensation for your damages. But this trail is not necessary for all the cases.
The bottom line:
If you know and think that you can make your injury claim by yourself, then you do not need an injury lawyer. Other than these, the ICBC settlement claim process can be easily done by filling a form online. That application may take a few minutes to do the whole process.
Sometimes, a settlement claim involves tricky works and policies. In those cases, you should research and explore more before filling for the settlement. You can find all the rules and laws on the internet (i.e. ICBC injury lawyer in surrey). Hopefully, from this writing, you have learned how can you settle with ICBC without a lawyer.