Injured by a faulty floor jack

Two Things You May Not Realize You Can Be Compensated For After An Auto Accident

19 July 2016

Mia Little

You probably already know you can get money for auto repairs and medical bills after you've been involved in a car accident and the other person was a fault. However, there are quite a few smaller expenses you can also be reimbursed for that you may forget about in the course of wrangling with the insurance company to get the bigger items in your claim paid. Here are two things you should be sure to ask the auto insurance company of the at-fault driver to pay for after you've been involved in a collision.

Damaged Items Inside the Vehicle

In addition to having the insurance company pay for repairs to the vehicle itself, you can also get money for damage to items that were inside the car. It's not unusual for people to forget about the things that may be been broken in the vehicle due to the collision. After all, what's a $10 music disk compared to $5,000 worth of auto body work, for example? However, you definitely want to make an effort to include larger ticket items that were damaged in the crash, such as a laptop computer, smartphone, car seat, and even your grocery haul for the day.

To ensure you're properly compensated, you'll need to make an itemized list of the items that were broken. Take pictures of the items to send to the insurance company, and include copies of the original sales receipts if you have them. Be aware, though, that you will likely only get the market value of the item rather than the replacement value. If your two-year-old smartphone was broken in the crash, for example, you likely would only get the current value of the phone.

Transportation Expenses to Doctor's Appointments

Another thing you may not know you can be reimbursed for is the transportation expenses you incur traveling to and from your doctor's appointments. This is another one of those things that may not seem like a big deal on a small scale but can quickly become a serious financial issue the more frequently you have to see your health care provider for tests and treatments.

The exact amount you'll be reimbursed for varies depending on where you live and the insurance company you're dealing with. For instance, in Michigan, the standard mileage reimbursement rate is between 14 and 37 cents a mile, but may be as high as 55 cents.

You'll need to keep detailed records of your trips to your healthcare provider. Additionally, there may be a time limit on how long you have to file a claim for reimbursement for travel expenses, so be certain to research what that is in your state to avoid accidentally missing the deadline.

For more information about the different expenses you can request after you're in an auto accident, contact a car accident attorney.

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