When you are involved in an auto collision, it is very likely you will end up dealing with insurance companies. Dealing with insurance companies after a car accident can be very confusing. Regardless of whether it is your insurance company, or the insurer of another party in the accident, you can be assured insurers will attempt to limit payout amounts to as little as possible. You can easily make things go from bad to worse if you unknowingly say the wrong thing. Here are three things not to say to an insurance company after a car accident:
- Don’t guess. You will be asked many questions by the insurance adjuster. These questions are designed to help the insurance company limit their financial exposure from the accident. So, if you are asked things such as how fast you were driving or how far away you might have been from the other vehicle, do not guess. Your guess will be used against you if possible.
- Do not admit fault. When you say you are sorry, or indicate you may have acted inappropriately, you could be making a very big mistake. Even if you believe you are at fault, you should not admit it. After all, you do not know the extent of the other driver’s fault. Do not apologize, or try to explain your potential liability. Bottom line, it is NOT for you to decide who is responsible for the fault of the collision.
- Do not say you are not injured or that you are feeling fine. While you may not have pain at that present time, some injuries take time to manifest. As an example, we had a client who was hit in the head by a suitcase that fell from an overhead compartment on a bus. At the time the client felt just fine. Three days later the client suffered a brain aneurysm and almost died. The injury required emergency surgery and it all related to an accident that had occurred three days earlier. The truth is you do not know how you will feel in a week, a month, or maybe even a year after the accident.
If you have been injured in a car accident, we can provide you experienced legal assistance to maximize your recovery. Please feel free to contact us for a free case evaluation.