In the days following a car crash, accident victims are typically required to make a statement about the accident and notify necessary parties. After an accident, insurance companies may contact injured individuals to discuss a claim and request records such as a police report, consent for the medical record release, and a medical exam to investigate the accident.
Injured individuals must understand their rights and the best way to communicate with an insurance company when necessary. At Setareh Law Firm, our honest injury lawyer works to protect the rights of the injured and help them recover total compensation after a car accident.
Tips for Speaking With Insurance Companies After Being Injured in an Accident
Insurance professionals are trained to evaluate accident claims, avoid fraudulent cases, and find fault in a car accident case. Injured victims should keep a few tips in mind when speaking to insurance companies and communicating with representatives to avoid mistakes.
Know Your Rights and Keep a Record of Conversations
Understanding your rights and communicating clearly with insurance companies is essential in avoiding errors. While you are not obligated to speak with insurance companies, your insurance may contact you to confirm the details of your claim. Keeping a record of conversations and being clear without giving additional information can help your compensation recovery process.
Remain Calm and Polite During Phone Calls and Conversations
Suffering injuries and damages in a car collision can easily cause a wave of emotions for those involved. Especially in the days and weeks following a crash, it may be challenging to recount the accident and details. When speaking with your insurance company or communicating with the negligent party’s insurance, remaining calm and polite can help your case. With the help of an experienced lawyer, you may feel more at ease with their experienced case handling.
Avoid Accepting Settlement Arrangements
In determining a claim’s value, the negligent party’s insurance adjuster may attempt to offer you a settlement to resolve the case. While a settlement offer may seem appealing at first, the risk of accepting a settlement from the negligent party is that you may not be receiving what your claim is truly worth. Consulting an attorney and hiring them to handle your case may help you ensure it is appropriately valued with all compensable damages considered.
Notify the Insurance Company if Your Legal Team Is Representing You
In the process of recovering, our lawyer at Setareh Law Firm understands the challenges and stressors you may be facing. When you hire a legal team, your case is transferred to them. After this point, all communication may be completed by your legal team regarding case handling. If the negligent party’s insurance representatives attempt to collect information from you or bombard you with phone calls, you may direct them to your lawyer.
Refrain From Signing Unnecessary Documents or Verbal Agreements
After a car accident, insurance companies may request access to your entire medical record and other information. Any information regarding accident-related injuries would be appropriate to authorize and add evidence to your case. However, the adjuster may use your entire medical record against you in an attempt for adjusters to refute the injuries and losses in your claim. Additionally, you are not required to authorize or give verbal agreements for any release of information.
By partnering with a knowledgeable attorney, you may avoid errors in allowing insurance companies to access any information that can affect compensation recovery. Understanding your rights after an accident and only providing information that is necessary may help your case in recovering compensation for non-economic and economic losses.
What Am I Obligated to Tell an Insurance Company?
Insurance adjusters are trained to question accident victims, analyze medical records, and gather information to dispute the value of a claim. However, if you have been injured in an accident caused by another’s negligence, you have rights and are not obligated to give insurance adjusters access to every document requested.
General information you can give to insurance adjusters include:
- Your name and identifying information
- Identifying information of others involved in the crash
- The date, time, and location of the accident
- Information about the cars in the accident
- Insurance information of the other drivers involved
Information you are not obligated to give the negligent driver’s insurance company includes:
- Your account of who is to blame
- How an accident occurred
- Information about injuries and treatment
After an accident, the negligent driver’s insurance representative may attempt to recover more information than you are required to give them. You are not responsible for communicating with the negligent driver’s insurance, and partnering with an attorney may help alleviate the stress of handling a claim. With your legal team providing skilled representation, you may recover the total compensation you deserve and avoid any communication errors that affect your claim.
Pursue Fair Compensation and Protect Your Rights by Partnering With Setareh Law Firm
While communicating with insurance companies after a car accident, injured parties should be cautious of tactics used by insurance adjusters to invalidate or lessen a claim settlement. Deciphering what to say or to avoid saying and ensuring your rights are protected may be challenging while recovering from accident-related losses and injuries.
Our Spanish-speaking attorney at Setareh Law Firm is dedicated to helping injured victims, and previous clients have benefited from our legal services and representation. To schedule a consultation, complete a contact form or give us a call at (310) 659-1826.