After a car accident, survivors are likely to feel stressed, overwhelmed, and possibly in physical pain. Because of this, many survivors make crucial errors when speaking with the insurance adjuster. These mistakes can be costly, potentially jeopardizing a future accident lawsuit . It’s always a good idea to speak with an accident lawyer serving Riverside about your case before you speak to the insurance adjuster. An attorney can caution you about the tricks insurance adjusters often use to minimize the compensation the company pays.
Obtain important information for your records.
An insurance adjuster will contact you soon after you file the insurance claim. Before the conversation gets started, ask the individual to provide his or her full name, employee ID number if applicable, and phone number at work. Write this information down, along with the name of the insurance company and its address. Keep this information for your own records, and provide a copy to your accident attorney. Once the call is over, it’s a good idea to make a few notes about what was said.
Keep your temper in check.
Dealing with red tape while you’re recovering from a crash is never pleasant, but it’s important to stay calm and be polite. Insurance adjusters are human, after all, and they may respond poorly to verbal aggression. On the other hand, an insurance adjuster who remembers having polite interactions with you may make an effort to ease the claims process.
Provide personal information.
During this initial phone call, the only information you need to provide to the insurance adjuster is your full name, number, and home address. Assuming that you’re speaking with the other party’s insurance carrier, you do not and should not provide any more information than you must. If you’re speaking with an adjuster from your own insurance company, you must abide by any rules specified in your policy. Your accident attorney can give you personalized guidance about your policy.
Avoid discussing the details.
Expect the insurance adjuster to ask you lots of questions about the accident and your injuries. You might also get some casual questions about your work schedule and income, and whether there were any witnesses to the crash. Do not answer these questions, even if they seem harmless. Instead, simply tell the individual that you’re still investigating the incident, there may be witnesses, and you’ll provide this information when it’s appropriate.