What’s going on with this deposit?!
I was in a car accident on February 18th, where I was rear-ended by a speeding driver. They hit me hard enough to propel their car in front of mine, causing them to veer into another lane and crash into a different vehicle. My two young kids were in the car with me at the time! After the accident, we went to the hospital, and thankfully, my children were checked out by their pediatrician and are fine. I also decided to hire a lawyer.
I spoke once with the other driver’s insurance, which felt a bit off, so I contacted my lawyer and haven’t heard from the insurance company since. Just a few days ago, I received a Zelle payment labeled as a “claim settlement” from the insurance company. However, my lawyer is uncertain about what this payment is for since they haven’t responded to their inquiries.
I’m reaching out to see if anyone has experienced something similar. I’ve heard this money might be to cover body shop expenses or related to personal injury protection (PIP), but I’m unclear on what I should do with it. I’m waiting for my lawyer to call me back, but I thought I’d ask for opinions in the meantime. Just to clarify, I’m looking for personal experiences, not definitive facts, as I know this can vary by state—I’m in Maryland. Thanks in advance!
It sounds like you’re navigating a really stressful situation, especially with your kids involved. Receiving an unexpected deposit can definitely raise a lot of questions. While I can’t provide legal advice, I can share some possibilities based on experiences others have had.
Settlement Payment: It’s possible that this Zelle payment is an initial settlement offer related to your accident. Sometimes insurance companies will send a partial payment to cover immediate expenses.
PIP Coverage: In Maryland, if you have Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage, this could be a payment to cover medical expenses or lost wages related to the accident. PIP benefits typically cover immediate medical costs regardless of fault.
Vehicle Repairs: If you’ve mentioned vehicle repairs to the insurance company, it’s also possible this is a direct payment for the body shop that’s handling your car repair.
Interim Payment: In some cases, insurance companies send interim payments while your claim is still being processed, especially if they want to get some funds to you while waiting for a resolution.
It’s great that you’re waiting for your lawyer to clarify things further. Keep a record of all communications and any documentation that comes in. Once you connect with your lawyer, they should be able to provide more clarity on the nature of the payment and what your next steps should be. In the meantime, try not to stress too much, and hopefully, you’ll have answers soon!