Why You Shouldn’t Talk To The Other Insurance Company After A Car Accident
After a car accident occurs, regardless of the severity, the next step is usually filing a claim for compensation. If you are sure that the other driver caused the crash, you need to file a complaint with his insurer. That is one of the main reasons why you exchange Spartanburg, SC insurance information. However, the interaction between you and the other insurance company needs to be limited.
It is important that even though you didn’t cause the crash, you inform your insurance company about it. It is so that your insurance adjuster is involved in the process and you can get what you deserve. You may think of leading the negotiations by yourself, but that is a bad idea. Unless you have experience in the area, it is a better idea to let the professionals handle the case.
Other than your adjuster, another person that you have to involve is your car accident attorney. He has the experience and legal knowledge to know how to get you compensated. As a result, he has to be in the forefront of the negotiations and the whole process. That guarantees that you will have everything you need to get the perfect compensation package.
Should You Talk To The Other Insurance Company? How Can A Spartanburg Car Accident Attorney Help?
Whether or not you should talk to the other insurance provider depends on many factors. However, you should ideally not interact too much with them since it may work against you. It is best to let your Spartanburg, SC lawyer and insurance adjuster deal with the company directly. This move protects you from saying anything that could affect the outcome of your claim.
The following are some reasons why you should not talk to the other insurance company:
- You may incriminate yourself. During the talk with the insurance company, you may end up saying things that implicate you. As a result, they may refuse to pay your claim. They may say that you were at fault based on what you said. It is quite challenging to get yourself out of such a situation. This is why you should not talk to them.
- They may give you papers to sign. The insurance company doesn’t want to pay you a lot of money. Due to this, they may get you to sign documents that may prevent you from getting what you need. Some of these papers may be Spartanburg, SC waivers, so you end up on the losing side. For the best results, allow your lawyer to head any negotiations between the two parties.
- They may convince you to settle. Since you don’t know how much your claim is worth, the company may convince you to settle for less. They will do this quietly and try to make it seem like that is the only offer you will get. That is never true, and if you use an excellent lawyer, you will end up with a lot more.
How A Car Accident Lawyer Can Guide You On What To Say
If you decide that you will directly interact with the other insurance company, there are things you must never do. You should not:
- Offer opinions about the matter. Stick to the facts in the report. Do not offer any opinions since this may hurt your claim. Sticking to what is in the report will ensure the insurer does not gain any ammunition against you.
- Offer extra information. Only answer the questions that you have been asked as they are asked. Do not go into any details since you may accidentally give them what they need to trash your claim. If you are not sure about the question, do not answer it.
- Talk about the extent of your injuries. They will ask you questions about your injuries to get your view on them. However, this is a trap for you to downplay how serious they are. This will affect your claim amount. Do not get into the details of the damage to your vehicle.
- Sign anything. Do not sign any document that they give you without running it by your attorney. That only puts you at risk of ending up with much less on your claim.
Why Should You Contact A Spartanburg Auto Accident Lawyer?
Allowing a Spartanburg Auto Accident attorney to handle every aspect of your claim with the other insurance company protects you. It enables you to get a chance to collect the Spartanburg, SC damages that you deserve. The Law Office of Brian T. Smith has led many car accident negotiations before. Due to our knowledge of the facts and the law, we can get you what you need.