When an insurance company calls you, it’s very easy for you to get confused and end up saying the wrong thing. You might say something that implicates you as the person responsible for the accident or you could say something that would significantly reduce the amount of compensation that you should receive. This is why we always advise personal injury victims to call an attorney before talking to insurance adjusters.
With that in mind, here are some tips from one of our Fall River, MA car accident attorneys to give you overall guidance.
Start by Having the Basics
If you were in an accident in Fall River, you have to get yourself acquainted with some basic knowledge. Write down the date when the accident happened, where it happened, the other car’s information, police information if they were called to the scene of the accident and which insurance companies were involved.
Sometimes a car accident might involve two or more insurance companies and you need to know which ones they are and note them down. One of those companies might insure both you and the other driver so when you get a call from your insurance company, make sure you know who you are talking to. Did they call to talk about your accident claim or the other driver’s accident claim?
In every car crash, there are several types of adjusters and each of them has a different job. One may be property damage, another may be liability or fault. Make sure you note down each insurance adjusters job so that when they call you don’t get confused.
Read about the role of insurance adjusters.
Don’t Give out any Statements
If you have been involved in a head on collision, it’s best to wait and talk to a car accident attorney in Fall River before giving out any statements because insurance companies are only concerned with what’s in their best interest.
Your insurance company will also want to pin the blame on you. This is why personal injury lawyers give free consultations so that their clients can know what their rights are. If you were in an accident and you or someone else was hurt, you need to contact a lawyer even if you think the accident was your fault.
Don’t give out a statement to the other driver’s insurance company even if they tell you they need it in order to process your personal injury claim.
What to Say to the Insurance Company
If you are not sure about what to say to the insurance company, it’s in your best interest to hang up and tell them you will call them later. But before you do that, make sure you note down their name, claim number and phone number.
Only your insurance company has the right to certain information. The other insurance company will want to fish for this information from you. You are not obligated to give them this information and you should be especially weary if they tell you they need it to process the claim.
If, however, you do not have insurance, you might have to deal with the other driver’s insurance company but it’s still always a good idea to talk to a car accident attorney first.
We would also like to add that you should never sign any forms from the other driver’s insurance company unless your attorney advises you to.
Your insurance agent might be able to guide you but if you feel the need to keep some things confidential, then it would be in your best interest to speak to an experienced car accident attorney. Everything you tell your attorney is protected by the attorney client privilege.
Read about the most important things you should disclose to your attorney.
Call A Car Accident Attorney in Fall River, MA Today
If you have any questions or concerns about the actions of an insurance company, we can help you out. We have years of experience dealing with insurance companies and car crash cases. No matter how complicated you think your situation is, we can guarantee you it’s not something we cannot handle.
There are many other things that we can also do for you including helping you gather all the important information and documents you will need for your case.
Contact us by calling 508-676-0001 or by visiting our offices today.
