You’re bound to face a lot of questions after a car accident. The other parties involved will likely want to know what happened, and the police will probably bombard you with questions to try to figure out what caused the wreck. Even in the days, weeks and months following your wreck you can be subjected to questioning, especially by insurance companies that become involved in the claims process. You have to be careful with what you say to all of these people, since a slip of the tongue could give the wrong impression and might be used in an attempt to deny you the compensation that you need.
In this post, we want to look at some mistakes that car accident victims make when interacting with insurance companies, that way you’re better prepared for the process if you have to navigate it. This, in turn, will hopefully maximize your chances of recovering the compensation that you deserve.
An insurance company and its representatives might come across friendly enough as they put forth an appearance of wanting to help protect your interests. But remember, the insurance company is in the business of making money, which most often means they want to deny claims or at least reduce the amount of payout as much as possible. Therefore, when you interact with an insurance company, you should be sure to avoid the following so that you protect your interests as fully as possible:
- Speculating: You might have thoughts and opinions about how the accident was caused, but you should avoid speculation when talking to an insurance company, since it could end up coming back to bite you. The insurance company might claim that you presented the speculation as fact and are later changing your story, which damages your credibility, or they might find a way to spin the speculation to place you at fault. When talking to an insurance company, stick to the facts you know.
- Settling too fast: The insurance company will want to settle your claim quickly so that they can avoid negotiations and litigation that may lead to a larger payout. Therefore, you should make sure you have a comprehensive perspective of your damages and the patience necessary to advocate for a settlement that’s best for you.
- Apologizing: You should never apologize after an accident, since this will be viewed as an acknowledgement of fault, which then implicates comparative negligence. Saying you’re sorry will quickly derail your case and leave you without the financial resources necessary to spur your recovery forward.
- Exaggerating your harm: You need to be truthful when reporting your damages to an insurance company. If you lie or misconstrue the facts, it’ll eventually be found out. This can lead to a smaller payout or claim denial, and you could end up facing additional legal problems.
There’s a lot at stake in your personal injury case. But the burden is on you to build persuasive arguments aimed at recovering the compensation needed to advance your recovery and secure financial stability. It’s not always as easy of a task as one may seem, which is why now is the time to get to work building your case and learning about the nuances that may be applicable to your case.