Insurance Mistakes After a Toledo Car Accident 

Dealing with insurance companies after a car accident might seem simple, but because the insurance company has an obligation to the driver that hit you, their main priority is finding ways to settle and/or disprove liability. An attorney can advise you and help you avoid making insurance mistakes after a Toledo car accident. If you have been involved in a car accident, get in touch with an experienced car accident lawyer. A personal injury lawyer can fight to hold the responsible parties accountable.

Recorded Statements

The other driver’s insurance company will want to obtain a recorded statement to use against the person in cross-examination. For example, if the person talks to the insurance company right after the accident, they may not realize the extent of their injuries and claim to be fine which is one of the major insurance mistakes after a Toledo car accident that can heavily impact a case. If the person starts seeking medical treatment for various body parts, the insurance company uses that statement against the person.

Most people are not good at time and distance, so the insurance company uses those recorded statements to cross-examine the person. A car accident attorney asks the client to not give a recorded statement. In some circumstances, the other side refuses to fix the property damage until the person gives the recorded statements. In that situation, the attorney always prepares the person they are working with, ahead of time with the standard questions to make sure they do not destroy their own case.

How Insurance Companies Contact Accident Victims

First, the insurance company may tell the injured driver that they are doing an independent investigation. However, it is really not an independent investigation, it is an investigation to benefit their insured driver with whom they have a fiduciary and contractual relationship to protect. The insurance company may tell the injured person that to process their claim they need to hear their side of the story.

Second, they tell the injured person that to process the property damage, they need a recorded statement. They try to do that as quickly as possible. If the person has a phone number on the police report or their driver has a phone number, the insurance company calls the person. When no phone number is available, they send the person a letter. 

People make the mistake of talking to the opposing party’s insurance company because the insurance company appears to be trying to help them. They do not understand the implications or just want to tell their story. A good communicator from the insurance company can build trust with the injured party and most people like hearing their own voice so they do not realize that what they say is going to be used against them.

Other Driver’s Insurance Company Offers a Check

The insurance adjuster’s job is to protect their insured and to settle cases. Often, they have a goal of a certain number of cases they need to settle within the first 30 days of the claim being opened. They have authority up to $1,000, $2,500, and $5,000 to buy a quick release in settlement of a claim. The average person who hears $1,000 or $2,500 thinks of it as free money which is one of the biggest insurance mistakes after a Toledo car accident a person can make. The problem is that once if the person signs the check and the release, they give up their right to any and all future damages. In effect, the person bought off future risk. Once the person signs the release and then realizes they need $15,000 more of medical treatment, they bought all the future problems. It is a way to entice the injured party who believes they are getting free money.

Value of a Lawyer

Car accidents are overwhelming enough without the added pressure of trying to successfully navigate discussions with the other driver’s insurance company. An attorney can simplify that process for you. Not only will they be able to help you avoid making major insurance mistakes after a Toledo car accident, they can also handle the logistics of your case. A lawyer can conduct their own investigation, collect the necessary evidence, and use all of the information they have collected to build a solid case for you. If you have been involved in an accident, get in contact with a Toledo car accident lawyer today.