Imagine, you were just in a car accident and in the days thereafter you’re pondering what to do about it….Make a claim, not make a claim. You may be thinking that you don’t want to be litigious but your back and neck are just screaming. You may not have a choice; there will be medical bills to pay, a car to fix, and potentially, a deductible to pay as well. Guess who can make this bad situation worse if you let them? You got it. The insurance company, usually the other driver’s company, but it could also be your own.
Lets chat for a minute about the various ways the insurance company can try to put you in a really bad spot. After all, insurance companies sole purpose is to make as much money as humanly possible for their CEO’s and shareholders. Accordingly, you will require advocacy, of the highest caliber.
Let me give you a couple quick tips about how to deal with the other side’s insurance carrier.
In the days following the accident, the carrier will want to take a “recorded statement” from you. This can NEVER help. It is like being deposed by an experienced lawyer without a lawyer at your side and without the benefit of any court to prevent bad behavior on their behalf. Be assured, anything they can possibly elicit, they will, even if they are not even remotely entitled to it.
Also, make sure you take plenty of pictures of yourself, your car, and the scene. Memorializing the accident can make the difference between them getting away without helping you and being held accountable. They are disclosable later in the process, but fresh pictures can be very persuasive in front of a jury.
Lastly, get to your lawyer quickly. We have skilled professionals that help memorialize the scene and the cars (both yours and theirs)by taking our own pictures. I can recall one conversation I had with our investigator where he found a half bottle of whiskey sitting in the front seat of the other driver’s car!
This undoubtedly would never have been found or disclosed by the other driver’s lawyer or carrier. These are just a few things that you can do to help maximize your chances in getting justice for the damage done to you by someone whose insurance company is trying to profit off of your misery.
We have handled a multitude of cases, achieving great results on behalf of clients because of not just skill in the courtroom but dogged preparation beforehand. As has been said the drudge in the office is the genius in the courtroom. Contact us today.
