According to some statistics, the cost of burial services can be from $7,600 to $12,000 on average. That’s why many customers increasingly seek funeral insurance opportunities that offer various compensation payments. Here, you can find some of the most frequently asked questions about burial and funeral insurance after a car accident.
Burial Insurance FAQ
Obtaining payments from insurance companies for funeral and burial costs isn’t as straightforward as you might imagine. Hopefully, the following FAQ segment will help you learn more about the process and how to make a claim, including a wrongful death claim.
What Types of Funeral Arrangements Insurance Exist?
There are three general types of burial and funeral insurance types, with many restrictions applying to different states. With that in mind, the three available insurance options are the following:
● Term insurance. That type of insurance provides coverage for a specified number of years. If the insured individual perishes while the insurance coverage is in effect, receiving reimbursement for funeral expenses will be possible.
● Whole life insurance. It’s a type of permanent insurance that, as its name suggests, provides life insurance to an individual. Funeral compensation policies are included in many life insurance options, allowing beneficiaries to receive compensation for burial costs.
Who Can Claim Death Benefits?
Beneficiaries of life insurance are typically individuals who work in potentially dangerous fields. These might include motor vehicle drivers, lifeguards, road and construction workers, and individuals living in areas with often-occurring natural disasters.
What Constitutes “Funeral Costs”?
The US Funeral Regulations law obliges funeral service providers to develop a thorough list of their options. What a given funeral home offers in terms of services may vary considerably from state to state. With that in mind, there are several types of standard burial and funeral expenses. Those include obtaining a certificate of death, embalming the deceased’s body, storing the body for a given period of time before the funeral, and cremation or burial services. Renting a cemetery plot, as well as ordering a hearse, doesn’t constitute a funeral expense.
Does Statute of Limitations Apply When Making a Funeral Compensation Claim?
As with many other types of claims, there’s an applicable statute of limitations when making a claim to compensate for funeral and burial expenses. Since there are different laws at play in the US, depending on the state you’re in, it’s always best to consult an attorney to determine how much time you have to file a wrongful death claim or any other type of claim to compensate for funeral expenses. At LegalChiefs, we provide consultations with attorneys who specialize in funeral and wrongful death claims.
Auto Accident FAQ
Your first and foremost action following an accident is to stay calm, check if you or anyone else involved has been injured, and call the police. Get the name and contact information of all parties involved in the accident as well as any witnesses of the event. To document the damage, take pictures of the accident scene, the vehicles, and your injuries. It’s important not to admit liability until you hire an attorney because they will conduct a thorough investigation to establish the driver at fault.
Right after a car accident, you may feel fine, but injuries can surface days, weeks, and even months later. That’s why it’s good to see a doctor even if you don’t believe you were injured in the accident. Your doctor can recognize issues or injuries that won’t immediately become apparent to you and alert you to warning signs of injuries that may arise due to the accident. If you fail to treat your injuries within a certain period of time, you may forfeit your right to get reimbursement for future medical costs. The general rule is not to settle auto accident claims without having been examined by a medical professional.
In most cases, you won’t have to go to court. The majority of auto accident claims are resolved outside of court after negotiating the terms with the insurer. Most insurance companies generally try to settle claims as quickly as possible and for as little money as possible, so it’s wise to have an attorney negotiate on your behalf.
In addition to taking pictures of the accident scene and taking the contact information of the involved parties and witnesses, your detailed explanation of how the accident happened is also necessary to file a claim. Law enforcement reports of the accident will also serve as crucial evidence in your claim.
Many factors determine the driver at fault in an auto accident case. Do not accept any part of the blame until the investigation has concluded. Even if the investigation finds that you are partially at fault, you may still be entitled to receive compensation.
There are cases when the victim also shares part of the blame for an accident. If, for example, you were driving five to ten mph over the speed limit when the accident happened, this would have limited your reaction time, and you could likely be considered a negligent driver even if you weren’t the one to cause the crash. Different states have different ways of settling auto accident claims where more than one driver is at fault. So it’s best to check the specific laws in your state (or the state where the accident took place) or discuss the matter with your auto accident injury lawyer.
It happens surprisingly often that people get into an auto accident where the driver at fault doesn’t have insurance. In these situations, it’s wise to have an auto insurance policy that comes with Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage. That way, if you get into an accident and the at-fault driver doesn’t have insurance, you will still be able to file your claim under the UM coverage you have with your own insurance company. Your insurer will then process the claim following the same process as it would for an opposing insurer. The only difference is that the claim will be against your UM coverage and not against another driver.
Likewise, if you were involved in a hit-and-run accident where the responsible driver fled the scene before you could take their information, you can again seek compensation from your UM coverage.
Suppose you suffered injuries after an auto accident that was caused by another driver’s negligence. In that case, there are two main types of damages that you may seek compensation for: compensatory (a.k.a. monetary) and punitive damages.
Compensatory damages are the most common type of damages in a personal injury claim, and they often include:
● Current and future medical bills
● Property damage
● Emotional duress
● Lost wages
● Loss of enjoyment of life
● Loss of future earnings potential
On the other hand, punitive damages are much rarer, but they can occur in situations where the vehicle manufacturer is to blame.
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