According to the Kansas Department of Transportation, there were 60,473 traffic crashes within the state of Kansas in 2015. The largest city in Kansas, Wichita certainly sees its share of auto accidents, and unfortunately, most people will be in several traffic crashes during their lifetime. For this reason, it’s a good idea to know how personal injury auto accident claims work in Wichita, Kansas. [videosingle id="20600" width="100%" height="400" rel="false" /] Serving Wichita, personal injury attorney, Mike Wyatt of the Mann Wyatt Tanksley Injury Attorneys law firm, explains the overall process:
- Communication with Your Insurance Company The overall claim process begins with your insurance company, which is also called first-party insurance. In Wichita and the rest of Kansas, benefits you could receive from the first-party insurance company are referred to as Personal Injury Protection benefits. Such benefits will likely cover your lost wages and medical expenses.
- Communication with the Third-party Insurance Company The next step is to make a claim with the insurance company of the third-party or the person who caused the accident. Usually the third-party insurance company or the claims adjustor will call you to take a statement or start the process.
- Follow-up Treatment It’s important to seek the follow-up medical treatment you need after your auto accident injury.
- Bring the Claim to the Insurance Company Once your claim is filed, you can potentially resolve the case prior to litigation. According to Wyatt, most cases are resolved without a lawsuit. “In our practice, less than 15 percent of the cases go to a lawsuit,” he said. “Of the cases that do go to a lawsuit, less than 1 percent go to a jury trial.”