When you get into a car accident in the Belleville, IL area, one of the first things you want to do is contact the insurance adjusters and report it to them. The only problem with this is that they are not looking out for you, and it is important that you watch what you say to them. They do not want to pay that much to resolve the insurance claim and will try to get you to undermine your injuries or even blame yourself for the accident. Here are some important things to note when talking to an insurance adjuster after a car accident.
Do Not Tell Them You Will Be Fine
One of the most important things to not say is that you will be fine, and you are not injured. When they receive this information, they will hear that you are not injured and will lessen the value of the claim you made since you “are not injured”. Even if you feel fine after an accident, you need to be careful what you say, there may be adrenaline and you don’t feel the injury, or it may be small that you don’t notice yet.
Don’t Put The Blame On Yourself
It is also important that when you talk to the insurance adjusters you do not put the blame on yourself. Do not tell them that you were rushing or that you maybe should have been more aware or careful. When they hear things like this, they may assume that you caused the accident and therefore they may withhold you from receiving any type of compensation. It does not even matter if evidence shows the other person was at fault, because of the information you provided, it makes you look at fault. Sometimes you will want to apologize too, even if it is not your fault, but beware as this may also make you look like the negligence driver.
Give Your Insurance Company The Details
Another important thing to keep in mind is to tell them all the details about the crash. Do not be short and tell the insurance adjuster that you do not know what happened, this can ruin your credibility for the claim as well as make your statements questionable. If you really have no idea what may have happened, just stick to the information that you do know. Do not provide extra facts or details, or make anything up as this could get you into trouble down the road.
If you need further advice about what to do after a car accident or want another type of legal advice, contact our team at Brunton Law Office today!
