If you were involved in a car crash caused by another driver, you may have already received a call from his insurance adjuster. These adjusters often contact accident victims within days of the crash. How you handle this call and communications with the adjuster could have a huge impact on the amount of your settlement.
What to Do When the Other Driver’s Insurance Adjuster Calls
Understanding why the insurance adjuster is contacting you can help you know what to say during your communications with him. If you received a telephone call, it is because he is worried you have a claim against his insured driver. His goal is to get you to quickly accept a small settlement—most likely significantly less than you are entitled to—or to obtain information from you that he can use to deny the claim. Here is what you should do when communicating with the negligent driver’s insurance company:
Report your claim.
You will need to report your claim in order to be compensated for your injuries. But reporting your claim is different from discussing it with the adjuster. Ideally, you want to contact an experienced car accident attorney who can make your claim for you and handle all communications with the adjuster. However, if you report your own claim, you want to keep the conversation simple and report the basics: where your vehicle is so it can be inspected, who was injured, and what treatment you received and are receiving.
Never admit fault.
You should never admit fault—even if you are uncertain if you were partially to blame. You are under no obligation to give the other driver’s insurance company details on how the accident occurred and should be wary of doing so even if you know you were not at all at fault.
Do not admit you were not injured.
You may not believe you were really injured in the crash or could think your injuries were minor. Do not tell the adjuster this. Many injuries—such as back, neck, spinal, or head injuries—can take days or weeks before you begin experiencing symptoms. You do not want to hurt your claim by denying any injuries right after the crash when you really do not know whether you are hurt or not.
Do not agree to sign anything.
You do not want to agree to sign a blanket medical authorization allowing the adjuster to get your complete medical records or to give a recorded statement where the adjuster asks you questions and records your answers. Agreeing to these could result in your inadvertently hurting your case.
Contact an attorney.
If you did not contact an attorney before your first conversation with the adjuster, you want to do so immediately after this call. An attorney can handle all your negotiations with the adjuster and walk you through the entire legal process.
Have You Been Involved In Car Accident?
If you’ve been injured in a car accident you need to speak with an experienced Henderson car accident lawyer as soon as possible. Contact us online or call our Henderson office directly at 702.405.6000 to schedule a free initial consultation.