The party that pays for car accident damages is the party that causes the car accident. That party is usually a negligent or unlawful driver, but it can also be a negligent vehicle manufacturer or a negligent municipality that fails to safely maintain its roadways. Conversely, if the injured party causes the accident, then the injured party will be responsible for paying for his or her damages.

When another driver causes an accident and injuries, the insurance company of that driver will be responsible for paying associated damages. When no insurance is owned by the at-fault driver, then the driver him or herself will be personally responsible for the financial damages, but — as is often the case with uninsured motorists — the at-fault driver probably does not have sufficient personal assets to cover those damages. In which case, the injured party may need to rely on his or her own insurance to pay the bill.

In a lot of cases, an injured Alabama motorist can swiftly resolve his or her damage claims with the other driver’s insurance company. In fact, the other driver’s insurance company may attempt to contact the injured motorist to settle all claims as quickly as possible. However, injured parties need to be aware that large insurance companies want to pay as little as possible on claims, and they may try to short-change them in a settlement deal. This is why injured parties may want to consult with a personal injury attorney before agreeing to settle with an insurance company.

At Johnston Moore & Thomas, our personal injury attorneys know how to negotiate with insurance companies to ensure their clients receive the amount of money they are due to pay for medical costs, time spent unable to work, pain and suffering, permanent or temporary disabilities and other damages. Furthermore, in cases where insurance companies refuse to offer fair compensation, our firm is fully prepared to take our clients’ cases to trial.