Posted in Car Accident,Insurance Issues,Personal Injury on November 18, 2014
5 Reasons to Avoid Speaking to the Insurance Company after Your Accident
After you’ve been involved in a car accident, your first instinct is to make sure you and everyone in your vehicle is okay. Your next instinct may be to contact your insurance provider and give them all of the details about what happened. Although most policies do have provisions that require you to report any car accidents with a certain timeframe, you aren’t required to tell your insurance provider all of the details about what happened.
In fact, if you suffered injuries that may result in expensive medical bills and time away from work, it’s in your best interests to minimize contact with the insurance company and call an experienced Lebanon car accident lawyer as soon as possible.
At Matt Hardin Law, our legal team has dealt with countless insurance companies, and we know that their primary goal is to maximize their profits and pay their customers the minimum amount of compensation for their accident-related expenses.
Why Should You Avoid Speaking to the Insurance Company?
Speaking to the insurance company about accidents rarely results in positive outcomes for car accident victims because:
Even if the accident wasn’t your fault in any way, the adjusters who work for insurance companies are trained to twist your statements and make it appear as though you were fully or partially at-fault for the accident. If the insurance company determines you caused the accident, even if you didn’t, your settlement may be reduced or even denied.
It’s difficult to fully estimate the costs of serious car accidents. Not only are you likely without a vehicle for the foreseeable future, but you’re also facing expensive medical bills, increased insurance premiums, and lost wages for weeks, months, or even years. The initial settlement offers made by insurance companies are rarely sufficient to cover these damages.
If you’ve just been involved in a car accident, you may be in shock and confused about your next steps on the road to recovery. Insurance adjusters may take advantage of your confusion and vulnerability by getting you to agree to a reduced settlement before you’ve had a chance to calculate your total accident-related expenses.
The insurance adjuster may ask you seemingly innocent personal or medical questions during conversations with you about the car accident, only to later turn around and use that information against you in an attempt to deny your claim. Admitting to an insurance adjuster that you have any preexisting medical conditions or personal events scheduled after the accident could jeopardize your chances of receiving compensation.
Car accidents almost always lead to injuries, both minor and major. In the immediate aftermath of a car accident, you may not know the full extent of your injuries, as some injuries could be worse than they appear, or you may have internal injuries that aren’t symptomatic yet. Telling the insurance adjuster about your medical condition before you’ve been thoroughly examined by a doctor can hurt your chances of getting full compensation.
The Lebanon car accident attorneys at Matt Hardin Law know the tricks of the trade used by insurance companies to reduce or deny claims of unsuspecting car accident victims.
Don’t let yourself become a victim twice. Get in touch with our legal professionals and let us help you get the compensation you deserve. Just dial (615) 200-1111 or fill out our free online form to speak with our Lebanon auto accident attorneys today.
