In case car accidents weren’t stressful enough, you don’t exactly get to take a break after you walk away from the scene. Instead, you have a to-do list with everything from “go to the doctor” to “call your insurance agent.” On top of the phone calls you already have to make, don’t be surprised if your phone starts ringing with calls from the other party’s insurance company. They want to find out what happened and they want to get ahead of your claim.
Make sure you have an attorney committed to protecting you throughout this process. Call The Stein Firm to set up a consultation.
Know What to Expect
First, it’s crucial to know what the other insurance company wants and what their goal is in speaking to you. Know that everything they say is intended to limit their financial liability and protect themselves from a lawsuit. It doesn’t matter if they sound sympathetic, care about your injuries, or ensure you that they are ready to offer a fair settlement. Everything they tell you—and more importantly, everything they ask you—is with their own best interests in mind.
Keep Your Insurance Company in the Loop
This doesn’t apply to your own insurance company. In fact, it’s important to report your crash to the insurance company as soon as possible. Your contract likely requires you to notify them of collisions within a certain timeframe and cooperate during their investigation. Failing to report the accident or refusing to give them the information they need could put you in violation of your service agreement with them.
Be Proactive and Talk to a Lawyer
One of the most important things you can do after a car crash is talk to a personal injury lawyer. You know the other party’s insurance company isn’t looking out for you, but that doesn’t mean they won’t try to get to you. You need someone who is focused exclusively on doing what is best for you.
Once you’ve hired a personal injury attorney, you can give them the other party’s insurance information and allow them to take over. This means no more dodging calls, no more obsessing over everything you tell the insurance company and no worrying that you’ve already doomed your car accident claim.
Be Careful About What You Tell the Insurance Company
Mistakes happen. If you fail to hire a car accident lawyer before you talk to the other party’s insurance company and end up on the phone with an insurance adjuster anyway, all is not lost. While never talking to them directly is the best possible outcome, you can still limit the damage to your claim by being extremely careful when you talk to them.
When you talk to the insurer, you’ll likely give them a brief rundown of what happened in the accident. Keep it brief and factual, leaving your emotions or your guesses about the other party’s actions out of it. Do not do anything that sounds like admitting fault. The insurance adjuster will take that, no matter how weak of an admission it is, and run with it.
The insurance company may also ask you if you’re willing to give them a recorded statement. You should not give them a recorded statement. If you do, prepare for it to be dissected, analyzed, and twisted until it suits their purposes. At that point, you are just doing their job for them. If they want more details regarding the crash and what happened, they can talk to your attorney.
Remember that it’s never too late to pivot and do the right thing for you. If you’ve spoken to the insurance company or you worry that you’ve already ruined your claim, don’t give up and accept their first offer. Call an attorney right away and be upfront about any communication you’ve had with the insurance adjuster.
Get the Help You Deserve with The Stein Firm
At The Stein Firm, our goal is to help accident victims like you get the fair and full compensation they are owed. Find out how we can help you. Call us or send us a quick message online to set up your free consultation now.
