Tips for Dealing with Insurance Companies After Being Injured in an Accident

An accident like a car accident is already overwhelming as it is before getting an insurance company involved. The bad news is that if you want compensation after an accident, it is essentially guaranteed that you will have to notify your insurance company sooner or later while also preparing for the steps that the other party’s insurance company decides to take. The good news is that with a few helpful tips now, you can learn how to better deal with an insurance company after an accident.

First Things First, After the Accident

After being in an accident, your top priority must be safety. Even if your injuries seem minor, you should seek medical attention. Secondly, you’ll want to collect as much evidence of liability at the scene of the accident as you can while still making sure that you stay safe. Your insurance company will eventually ask what sort of evidence or proof you have, as will your injury attorney.

Five Tips for Dealing with an Insurance Company

1. Never Talk to Another Party's Insurance Company: You should never talk to another party’s insurance company. All insurance companies are businesses that are interested in profits before anything else, but the other party’s insurance company is directly adversarial to your best interests. Instead of talking to the other insurance company, inform it that all communications should be directed to your attorney. By doing so, you will prevent the other insurance company from intentionally misconstruing your statements.
2. Never Admit Fault: Avoid making any statements that might be construed as accepting responsibility for the accident. Determining fault is a complex legal matter and should be left to professionals. Even if you think you might have done something wrong that contributed to the accident, a review of the evidence might show that you actually acted reasonably and never made a mistake. Therefore, don’t even say, “I’m sorry,” after an accident.
3. Never Lie: Always be truthful about the facts of the accident and your injuries. Misrepresentations can severely damage your credibility and affect your claim. Be completely honest when talking with your attorney about the accident, and they can decide the best way to present that information within your case.
4. Document Everything: Maintain detailed records of all interactions with insurance companies, including dates, times, and the content of conversations. If you have hired an attorney, they should be keeping such documentation when talking with your insurance company, too.
5. Stay Organized: Keep your mind on organization as your case progresses. You never know when you will have to go back and refer to an older conversation or email, and you also never know how damaging it might be to your case if you can’t find that document when you need it.

Consulting a Personal Injury Attorney

Most of the time, you should contact your insurance company shortly after you get into an accident of any sort, not just auto accidents. Afterward, you should contact an attorney to see if they can help you with the rest of the case as it progresses.

However, if you are unsure about how to even begin with notifying your insurance company about what happened, you should consider talking to an attorney before notifying your insurance company. The same is true if you are in a highly complicated accident where it is likely that another party will try to blame you for it. Keep in mind that the average insurance company will usually expect you to notify it within 24 hours of an accident, so you will have to talk to an attorney within even less time if you want their guidance.

Call Hilliard Law – We Know How to Deal with Insurers

Insurance companies want to save their profits like any other business, which means that they want to collect the largest premiums and pay the smallest coverage amounts whenever a claim is filed. Don’t take it personally, but also don’t assume that insurance companies have all the control. When you have to deal with one after an accident, make sure you are prepared to deal with their tactics by hiring a talented injury attorney.

For the people of Texas, Hilliard Law is the trusted name for all sorts of personal injury claims. People across the state know that we can deal with insurance companies. Indeed, insurance companies know that we have the experience and resources needed to deal with them. When an insurer sees that we are handling a client’s claim, it knows that it will have no space for tricks or misleading language.

Let us fight for your rights after an accident in Texas. Call (361) 882-1612 to request a no-cost consultation.