Getting into an accident is a surefire way to ruin any day, no matter how well it is going. If the car accident caused damage to your car or someone else’s, then the trouble just continues. On the other hand, you might suffer injuries in the accident. Either way, you have to deal with another nightmare; the insurance company.
People get insurance policies for all sorts of things to have peace of mind when the need arises. However, the insurance companies stay in business by offering the lowest or no settlement to policyholders.
Therefore, you can check out the following tips to handle insurance companies better after getting into an accident.
Gather Evidence
Immediately after an accident, you might be in shock and you can’t feel if you’re body has been injured in any way. Therefore, you need to first check if you or your passengers have any injuries.
If no one has any major injuries, try to get out of the car and take pictures of the scene. The pictures or videos should include damage to your vehicle and any others involved. Then, you can try to make notes and take statements from anyone who witnessed the accident along with their contact information. After the police examine the scene, you should take a copy of the police report from them.
The more evidence you have, the better your chance of getting a fair settlement.
Be Careful About What You Say
When the insurance company contacts you, they will ask you for all sorts of information relating to the accident and maybe some things that may seem unrelated. When this happens, you should remember that the insurance company is not your friend.
If you can, avoid saying anything to the insurance company yourself and let your lawyer handle the call. If you do say something, stick to the facts of the accident, don’t admit to any faults, and don’t make any accusations. They might ask for your opinion or something, and you should completely avoid that because they will use anything they can against you.
Don’t Sign Documents without a Lawyer
Your insurance company might ask you to write a statement or present you with one relating to the events of the car accident and ask you to sign it. They might even have other documents concerning the accident. Keep in mind, avoid signing anything at all even if it seems like an accurate representation of what happened.
Insurance companies are tricky, and only an auto accident attorney knows how to deal with them properly. If you sign any documents, you can’t be sure how it may affect or limit your rights to get a fair settlement from them. Therefore, have your lawyer review all documents from the insurance company before signing them.
Don’t Accept Offers without Counsel
Sometimes the insurance companies get extra nice and offer you a settlement without any trouble. While accepting it might seem easy, this offer is usually lower than what you should be getting from them.
Therefore, avoid accepting their initial offers. When you discuss your case with a car accident lawyer, they can give you an estimate of what you get from the insurance company. After everything is done, make sure to get the final offer that you accepted written and signed on a proper business document.
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