Talking to the Insurance Company After a Car Accident
Unfortunately, we see this all the time. After a serious car accident in the Washington, D.C. area, especially when you or someone in your family is in the hospital or recovering from surgery, the other driver’s insurance company may ask you to give an interview or recorded statement, fill out forms, or provide authorization for your medical information.
After more than 30 years of helping people seriously injured in car accidents, our advice is simple: be very careful about talking to the other driver’s insurance company before you understand your rights and your case.
If the insurance company is pushing you for a recorded statement or asking you to sign something, it may be time to talk to an experienced car accident lawyer first.
The Insurance Company May Use a Recorded Statement Against You
The other driver’s insurance company is not there to look out for you. Their job is to investigate the accident and limit what the insurance company has to pay.
What happens if you make a mistake or cannot remember something clearly because you are in pain, taking medication, or dealing with symptoms from the accident?
What if you are in the hospital with doctors and nurses coming in and out of the room and you forget an important detail about how the accident happened? What if you forget to mention an injury that becomes more serious a few days later?
The insurance company may later try to use those differences to question your claim or argue that some of your injuries were not caused by the accident.
You do not need to feel pressured into giving the other driver’s insurance company a recorded statement immediately after a serious crash.
What Will the Insurance Company Say to Get You to Talk?
Insurance claims adjusters and investigators handle car accident claims every day. They know what questions to ask and what information they are looking for.
Most people seriously injured in a crash have never gone through this process before. They are dealing with medical appointments, pain, missed work, bills, and uncertainty about what comes next.
The insurance adjuster, on the other hand, does this for a living.
They may tell you they need your statement right away or that they will “close” your claim if they do not hear from you by a certain date.
That can sound serious, but an insurance company’s internal decision to close a claim does not necessarily mean your legal rights are gone.
We have had clients come to us worried because an insurance company told them their claim had been closed. Once our lawyers became involved, the insurance company reopened communication and the claim moved forward.
The important thing is not to let the insurance company pressure you into making decisions before you understand your options.
When Should You Talk to a Car Accident Lawyer?
Not every car accident requires a lawyer.
But if you or someone in your family was hospitalized, needs surgery, has a serious or permanent injury, cannot work, or is being pressured to give a recorded statement, it is worth getting legal advice early.
You may be worried about your health, lost income, medical bills, and whether the insurance company is treating you fairly. You should not have to figure all of that out while you are trying to recover.
Let Us Deal With the Insurance Company
At Donahoe Kearney, we help people through every phase of a serious car accident case. We deal with the insurance company and the legal process so our clients can focus on their medical treatment, recovery, and families.
We focus on serious injury cases. If you or someone in your family was hospitalized or needs surgery after an accident caused by another driver, tell us what happened or call 202-393-3320.
We can answer your questions and help you understand what to do next.
Top 3 Mistakes to Avoid After a Car Accident
In this video, Attorney Frank Kearney explains three common mistakes people make after a car crash, including saying the wrong thing to the insurance adjuster, putting off medical treatment, and waiting too long to get help.
Related Resources:
When to Call a Lawyer After a Car Accident
Should I Sue After a Car Accident?
Getting Pressure From the Insurance Company? Talk With Our Team