What is Considered Property Damage in a Car Accident?

Being involved in a car accident can be a chaotic experience. The most important thing for car accident victims to do is to seek medical assistance for any injuries they have sustained. However, victims also have to worry about property damage in the aftermath of a crash. It is important to understand exactly what constitutes property damage in the aftermath of a car accident in Arizona. If you are involved in a vehicle accident, how you handle your property damage claim will determine whether or not you receive full compensation for your losses.

Compensation for property damages in a car accident

According to data available from the Arizona Department of Transportation, there were nearly 130,000 total vehicle collisions across the state during the latest reporting year. Many of these incidents led to significant injuries and loss of life. While not every accident causes injuries or fatalities, nearly every single one of them will result in some sort of property damage.

In Arizona, drivers are required to carry at least $15,000 in property damage liability auto insurance. After a vehicle accident, this type of insurance will be used to cover the victim’s property damage repairs or vehicle replacement. This insurance can be used to cover various categories of damages, including the following:

• The cost of towing a vehicle to the repair shop
• The price of a rental car while you await repairs
• The amount of money it will take to repair the vehicle, if repairs are possible
• Money to repair any damaged or lost property inside the vehicle
• Money for various customizations, such as aftermarket sound systems or wheels
• The pre-accident value of the vehicle, if it is considered totaled

Property damages during a vehicle accident claim in Arizona can refer to any property that requires repairs due to the accident. Many people only think this refers to damage to the actual vehicle, but this can also encompass damage to other types of property, including personal belongings such as laptops, jewelry, mobile phones or other devices, children’s car seats, sunglasses, etc.

Proving property damages during your claim

Proving property damage in the aftermath of a vehicle accident is not always going to be easy. In many situations, it may be necessary to work with an Arizona car accident lawyer to help prove the value of your losses along with the liability of the other driver. There are various types of evidence that can be used in these cases, including the following:

• Letters and estimates from repair shops
• Photographs of the damaged property
• Appraisals of damaged property
• Repair bills and receipts
• Testimony from eyewitnesses
• Expert opinions
• A totaled vehicle’s Kelly Blue Book, Edmunds, or NADA value

The best way to improve your chances of receiving adequate compensation for property damage after an Arizona vehicle accident is by hiring a skilled Scottsdale car accident lawyer for your case. An attorney will be able to handle both your personal injury claims as well as your property damage claims at the same time. The evidence gathered for an injury claim will often be the same evidence gathered to support the property damage claim for an accident, and an experienced Phoenix personal injury lawyer will be able to help you from the beginning of this process all the way through to the moment you receive compensation.