Granger Car Accident Injury Attorneys

A car accident in Granger can leave you dealing with vehicle damage, mounting medical bills, and a stream of calls from insurance adjusters who do not have your best interests in mind. Understanding the coverage available on your own policy, the tactics insurance companies commonly use, and the treatment options available for serious injuries like cervical radicular pain can help you make informed decisions after a crash.

Comprehensive and Collision Coverage: What Is the Difference?

Iowa's minimum insurance requirements call for only liability insurance. Comprehensive and collision coverage are not required by law, but Granger drivers may still benefit from carrying them. Vehicle owners must be able to prove they are financially responsible for another person's damages after an accident, which liability insurance satisfies, but protecting your own vehicle is entirely up to you.

What Are Collision and Comprehensive Coverage?

Liability insurance pays for damage to other people's vehicles or property when you are at fault for an accident. Collision and comprehensive coverage, on the other hand, pay for damage to your own vehicle, though the two types of coverage work differently.

Collision Coverage

Collision coverage pays for repairs to your vehicle regardless of who was at fault. It also pays replacement costs if your vehicle is totaled, generally providing an amount equal to the fair market value of the vehicle plus the tax and tags needed to purchase a replacement. Collision coverage typically also pays for damage from a hit-and-run accident when the at-fault driver cannot be identified, though a police report supporting the hit-and-run claim is usually required before the insurance company will consider it. Collision coverage comes with a deductible that must be met before the insurer will pay for repairs or a replacement.

Comprehensive Coverage

When a vehicle is damaged by something other than a traffic accident, comprehensive coverage pays for repair or replacement costs, again after the deductible is met. Examples of damage covered by comprehensive insurance include vandalism, theft, falling debris, fire, natural disasters, or hitting an animal. Glass damage, such as a cracked windshield, is also commonly covered under comprehensive coverage.

Deciding What Coverage You Need

When shopping for auto insurance, Granger drivers should consider several factors. If a vehicle is financed, the lender may require collision and comprehensive coverage for the duration of the loan. The value of the vehicle also matters, since an older, less valuable car may not be worth the added cost of these coverages when weighed against its replacement value. Choosing a deductible is another important decision, since higher deductibles typically come with lower premiums, while lower deductibles come with higher premiums.

What Insurance Companies Don't Want You to Know

Insurance companies are some of the richest and most powerful corporations in the country, and they work to protect their profits at every turn. What they cannot control, however, is the judge or jury who ultimately decides how much compensation is fair if you are hurt in a car accident. Here are several things insurance companies do not want Granger accident victims to know.

The Insurance Company Is Not Required to Be Fair With You

There is no law requiring the other driver's insurance company to tell you the truth or act in your best interests. This is why an adjuster will sometimes act friendly and try to build trust with you, especially when your injuries are serious. It is a mistake to trust an insurance adjuster, since their job is to pay you as little as possible, and they may even be rewarded for keeping payouts low. They are not going to explain your rights or the best way to handle your claim.

You Do Not Have to Give a Recorded Statement

An adjuster may claim they need a recorded statement to evaluate your claim, but you have no legal obligation to give the other driver's insurance company one. Adjusters want recorded statements so they can ask questions in a way that lets them use your answers against you later. A simple, unprepared answer to a seemingly harmless question can seriously damage your credibility and your case.

Their Final Offer Is Usually Not Their Best Offer

During negotiations, an insurance company will often say a particular number is their final offer. In reality, this is usually not their best offer. There is little to lose by proposing a counteroffer, and it is unlikely the insurer will simply withdraw the offer altogether. Sometimes it takes filing a lawsuit to get to their actual best offer.

They Will Intentionally Try to Frustrate You

When the friendly approach does not work, some adjusters will make a very low initial offer specifically to frustrate accident victims. They know that some people will accept a lowball offer just to avoid dealing with the process any longer. Working with an experienced injury attorney means someone who understands these tactics deals with the insurance company on your behalf, so you can focus on healing instead.

They Will Not Pay Your Medical Bills as You Incur Them

An adjuster may tell you to send your medical bills to them, but that does not mean they will actually pay them. This tactic is sometimes used to pressure accident victims into settling cheaply once collection calls start coming in from creditors, hospitals, and doctors. In many car accident cases, it is better to have medical bills paid through your own health insurance or medical payments coverage while your claim against the other driver is resolved, since a case can take a long time to settle.

Cervical Radicular Pain and Epidural Nerve Block Treatment

Serious car accidents can cause more than bumps and bruises. Radicular pain, also called radiculopathy, occurs when the nerves stop working properly due to disease or trauma, resulting in pain, numbness, weakness, or loss of motor control. Even though the underlying problem is in the spine, the pain is often felt elsewhere in the body. Many cases of radicular pain occur in the cervical spine and lead to severe neck pain and related symptoms following a car accident.

What Causes Cervical Radicular Pain?

A herniated disc, often the result of trauma such as a car accident, is a common cause of cervical radicular pain. Material from the ruptured disc can put pressure on the nerve root, compressing it and causing pain. Radicular pain can also result from arthritis or other degenerative bone conditions, though car accidents remain a leading trigger for the traumatic version of this condition.

Traditional Treatments

Many patients try conservative treatment first, including corticosteroids and pain medication, whether injected or taken orally. Physical therapy is often part of a treatment plan as well, sometimes including cervical traction using mechanical or manual methods. If conservative treatment fails and pain becomes intolerable, surgery is often the next step, though there is another option worth discussing first: the epidural nerve block procedure.

The Epidural Nerve Block Procedure

This procedure involves injecting a corticosteroid into the epidural space of the spine. A physician uses a fluoroscope for real-time X-ray guidance, along with a contrast medium to ensure the needle is placed correctly. The injection typically combines a local anesthetic, such as lidocaine, with a corticosteroid, and pain relief is monitored over a set period of time afterward. This is a minimally invasive procedure that can serve as an alternative to surgery. Complications are generally slight, including a small risk of infection, minor bleeding, and mild pain around the injection site, though patients should discuss the full range of possible side effects with their doctor beforehand.

Recovering Compensation for Cervical Radicular Pain

Living with cervical radicular pain is not easy. It can affect a person's ability to work, sleep, or enjoy everyday activities. If a Granger resident develops this condition because of an accident someone else caused, they may be able to recover compensation for medical bills related to treatments like the epidural nerve block procedure, along with damages for lost wages and pain and suffering.