If you were injured in a truck accident caused by a negligent trucker, the trucking company will notify their insurance company of the collision right away. While it is always best to leave communicating with them to an experienced truck accident lawyer, you may not have time to hire one before you receive a call from the insurance adjuster. Here is what you should do if you must talk to the insurance company.
Tips on Handling a Call From the Insurance Company
You need to be very careful with what you say to the insurance adjuster if you want to obtain all the compensation you deserve for your injuries. Here are tips on how to deal with the call:
- Get contact information. You should get the contact information for the insurance adjuster and your claim number.
- Give limited information. You should remain polite but give limited information about yourself, details of how the truck collision occurred, and your injuries. Keep the conversation short, and advise the insurance adjuster that you will have your attorney contact them. Then hire an experienced truck accident lawyer right away.
- Don’t admit fault. You should avoid making statements that could be misconstrued as admitting fault for causing the truck accidents. Statements like “I’m sorry” or “the truck came out of nowhere” may be used by the insurance company to try to deny your claim or to pay you less than the full value of your claim.
- Be wary. The insurance adjuster may sound genuinely concerned about your injuries and act like they want to treat you fairly in settlement negotiations. While they may be a very nice person, their job is to save the insurance company money by denying claims or paying less than victims are entitled to.
- Don’t agree to a recorded statement. A recorded statement is a question-and-answer session between you and the insurance adjuster that is tape-recorded and transcribed into a written document. You should not agree to give a recorded statement because you may inadvertently say something that hurts your case and can be used against you in court and settlement negotiations.
- Don’t sign anything. You should not agree to sign the insurance company’s authorization for release of medical records or any other documents without first consulting with a lawyer. You could waive important legal rights by signing them.
- Don’t accept a quick settlement. The insurance company may offer you a quick settlement of your claim. You should resist the urge to accept it because it is most likely for far less than what you should receive. Never accept a settlement offer without first discussing it with your lawyer.
Contact Tavss Fletcher Today
If you or a family member suffered injuries in a truck crash in Virginia Beach or Norfolk, our knowledgeable and compassionate truck accident legal team is here to aggressively fight for the damages you deserve. We are not afraid to take your case to a jury trial if the insurance company won’t treat you fairly. To learn more about how we can assist you, call our Norfolk office to schedule your free consultation today.
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