When you are involved in an auto accident, you must inform your personal
auto insurance provider. If you have been in an accident with an insured
driver, their insurance company will call you at some point after the
accident to discuss the details of what happened. To be clear, you are
legally obligated to provide all necessary information to your own insurance
provider, but you are not obligated to provide as much information to
the other driver’s insurance company.
What [Not] to Say During Your First Call with Another Driver’s Insurance Company
When the other driver’s insurance adjuster calls, here are a few
important pointers to stick with:
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Keep a record of the adjuster’s information. When an insurance adjuster from another driver’s insurance company
calls, the first thing you should do is collect the name, number, email,
address, and any other important contact information regarding the individual
insurance adjuster. Also be sure to ask who their insured driver is (this
can be important if you’ve been involved in a multi-car pileup or
accident involving several people). Be sure to keep a written record of
all information regarding the adjuster and your conversation.
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Keep it as simple as possible. Don’t forget that an insurance adjuster is obligated to the company
they represent and that they are likely looking for reasons to deny you
compensation for the injuries or damages you sustained in your accident.
It may later become important to discuss the accident in greater detail,
but the location, date, time, and basic nature of the collision are all
you should provide during the first phone call with an insurance adjuster.
If they press you for details or ask you to make a statement, you should
politely decline. Providing too much information can come back to bite
you and you may accidentally end up saying something that could be used
against you.
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Keep your witnesses close to the vest. Even if you have reliable witnesses, there is no need to bring them up
during that first phone conversation with an adjuster. You will likely
be asked about it, but you should neither confirm that there are or that
there are not any viable witnesses.
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Keep your injuries to yourself. Even if you have been hurt or sustained immediate, obvious injuries during
your accident, it is best not to talk about them until you and your attorney
have a better idea of their extent, long-term implications, and total
cost. By not mentioning them to the insurance adjuster, you are free to
bring up new injuries or additional complications later on without having
your own words come back to hurt you. You may say generally that you have
been hurt, but without giving further detail. Do not tell the insurance
adjuster what sort of treatment you are receiving, where you have been
hospitalized, who your doctors are, or any other such information.
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Keep a cool head. Insurance adjusters are people, too, and asking probing questions is part
of their job. While you don’t necessarily have to cave and provide
whatever information they ask for, you can remain friendly, polite, and
courteous throughout the process. You may be in the hospital or recovering
from a painful injury when they contact you, but it is still important
to treat them with kindness. If they are inclined to help you, your case
and outstanding accident-related expenses may be more quickly and amicably resolved.
We Can Help You Discuss Your Accident with Insurance Companies. Call our
Long Island Personal Injury Attorneys Today.
One of the best things you can do for yourself after being involved in
a car accident is to get in touch with an experienced personal injury
lawyer. Having trustworthy legal counsel isn’t only necessary in
court—it has the potential to keep you out of court entirely. Relying
on the advice of one of our Long Island personal injury attorneys can
be the difference between resolving your injury claim with insurance companies
and duking it out with the other driver in court.
Our team at
Gruenberg Kelly Della is here to serve you in the aftermath of your car accident and ensure
you are cared for, skillfully represented, and given the settlement you
need to cover your injuries and losses.
Call (888) 305-6372 to speak with one of our friendly staff members, or send us an email
to schedule your free initial consultation.