Frequently Asked Questions
Thank you for choosing Dunn & Roy to assist you with your insurance claim. We strive to provide prompt and excellent service for all of our clients. This is intended to be a brief guide of how a claim for insurance proceeds is processed.
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Claim
After an accident, it is imperative that the client contact their insurance company immediately to open up a claim for Personal Injury Protection benefits. In order to open a claim, you will need to complete the Personal Injury Protection Benefit Form that is mailed to you by your insurance company. Once this is done, your insurance company will begin its investigation to obtain information so they can provide benefits due to you under your insurance policy. Once a PIP claim has been opened, you will be provided with a claim number. This is a very important number that you should carry with you whenever you seek medical treatment for injuries from your accident. You will give this number to any medical provider you treat with and that will allow the provider to bill the insurance company directly. All automobile insurance policies purchased within the state of Oregon must have a medical expense benefit that covers at least $15,000 of medical expenses incurred within 24 months after the accident. The most important thing for any victim of an automobile accident is that he or she receives the medical treatment they need to get better. As such, I urge you to make medical treatment a priority to help restore your health.
The second most important benefit you are entitled to under your insurance is the wage loss benefit. Under Oregon law, all automobile insurance policies purchased in the state of Oregon must provide a wage loss benefit in the amount of 70% of your gross wages earned up to a maximum of $3,000.00 per month. In order to become entitled to this benefit, it is required that you are totally disabled from your employment for a period of 14 consecutive days. At that time, you become eligible for this benefit. PIP wage loss benefits are a constant source of frustration for victims of automobile accidents. In order to issue your wage loss benefit, an insurance company needs two important pieces of information. First, a physician must declare that you are disabled from employment. Second, your employer must confirm that you were employed at the time of the accident, your expected schedule of employment, and the amount of money you earned during your employment, and the dates you were unable to work.
In order to expedite payment of the PIP wage loss benefit, I strongly encourage my clients to get involved in their PIP wage loss benefit claim. We provid a form that you should have your employer fill out as soon as possible. Once your employer completes this form, you can either take it to your doctor’s office, or drop it off at my office and we will fax it over to your insurance company so they have the information they need to issue payment. The PIP carriers generally issue payment within 2 weeks after they receive verification from your employer. If you are not receiving your PIP wage loss benefit within this timeframe, you should verify with your doctor that they have sent your insurance carrier proof of your disability. If this has been done, then contact your attorney who will follow-up with your PIP carrier to ensure payment is processed.
Property Damage
- I encourage my clients to take their vehicle to a reputable collision center for a free property damage estimate. You will want to provide a copy of the property damage estimate to the insurance company and to your attorney.
- Set up a time and place for the insurance adjuster to inspect your vehicle. If your vehicle is inoperable and at a tow yard, the insurance adjuster will need to know where it is located.
- Once bullet #1 and #2 are completed, the insurance adjuster will arrange to have your vehicle repaired at an auto repair shop. You can select the repair shop of your choice.