When you are in a car accident, you usually need to report the accident to your insurance. You will also probably file a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance – and perhaps your own insurance – to get payments. If the insurance adjusters call you, you need to know how to react.
If you are working with a lawyer, you should avoid talking to insurance carriers at all. Direct them to your lawyer. Without a lawyer, you will have to talk to insurance carriers to get the money you need. Even so, you should avoid disclosing additional information beyond what they ask, and stick to the facts only. Do not trust what they say, and do not accept money without speaking with a lawyer.
For a free case evaluation with our Las Vegas car accident lawyers, call Mitchell Rogers Injury Law at (702) 702-2622 today.
What to Do When the Insurance Company Calls You
Once your case is started, insurance companies may have good reasons to call you. In some cases, you should pick up the phone, answer their questions, and deal with them directly; in others, they shouldn’t even have called in the first place.
Letting Calls go to Voicemail
If you already have a lawyer, the insurance company should not be calling you directly anymore. You can let the call go to voicemail.
If you don’t have a lawyer, you are the one dealing with them directly. You may think letting the call go to voicemail can give you a preview of what they want and give you time to call back on your terms. However, they are unlikely to leave much information on the voicemail, and this might turn into a game of phone tag.
Refusing the Call
If you already have a lawyer, you may want to answer the call and tell them so. Once you have representation from a car accident lawyer, the defendant and their insurance should no longer contact you directly.
Pick up, tell them you have a lawyer, and tell them not to contact you. If they continue to do so, we may be able to ask the judge to get involved.
Avoid Disclosures
If you don’t have a lawyer, the insurance adjuster will work with you directly. They may need more information about your claim to pay you, and you may need to turn this info over or else risk denial. However, you should avoid any unnecessary disclosures and avoid supplying them with any additional information beyond what they ask for.
Can I Talk to the Other Driver’s Insurance Adjusters?
If you are working on your claim without a lawyer, then the only way to get paid will be to cooperate with the system. In any case, this means supplying them with the information they ask for and taking their calls.
If you have a lawyer, insurance should not call you directly anymore.
What to Say and Not to Say to Insurance Adjusters
When speaking with insurance adjusters, follow these guidelines to help protect your claim and avoid problems:
- Tell the truth – Lies and exaggerations can only come back to hurt you later when you cannot prove them.
- Do not supply extra information – Only answer the questions the insurance adjuster asks; don’t give them extra information they could twist against you.
- Avoid admitting fault – If you say you were at fault, they will trust you and deny your claim or reduce the payout for partial fault.
- Supply proof – If you have photos, video, documentation, records, and other hard evidence to back up your claims, you should supply them with a copy. They will usually ask for this documentation when you reference things like medical conditions, expenses, and repairs.
- Coordinate care and repairs – The insurance company might want to get in touch with your doctors or may have preferred facilities for vehicle appraisals and repairs. Cooperating with their requests may be the best way to get your claim paid quickly, but you should be able to talk to your own doctors and get second appraisals on your own to combat any unfair results.
Should I Get My Lawyer Involved if an Insurance Adjuster Calls Me?
If you were injured in an accident, you should work with a car accident lawyer instead of handling your claim on your own. When you do, they interface with the insurance companies for you. In fact, the insurance companies should no longer contact you directly at all; they should go through your lawyer.
In some cases, the insurance adjusters may have questions directly for you, and your lawyer should explain to you how to answer those questions, or else be on the line in a conference call.
Can I Talk to My Own Insurance Company’s Adjusters?
When you file a claim with your own insurance company, you should talk to them the same way you talk to the other side’s adjusters. Just because the insurance company is supposed to work for you doesn’t mean they are really on your side.
FAQs for Dealing with Insurance Adjusters
What Does an Insurance Adjuster Do?
The insurance adjuster is the main point of contact with the insurance company. They gather information and make initial decisions on claims, but they are not lawyers for the insurance company and don’t get the final say.
What is an Insurance Adjuster vs. an Insurance Agent?
An insurance adjuster is the person who deals with claims, while an insurance agent is the person who sets you up with a policy in the first place. You deal with insurance agents to buy insurance, but you deal with insurance adjusters after the crash.
Can I Speak Freely with Insurance Adjusters?
No, you should be careful of everything you say to an insurance adjuster. Not only will they use everything you admit against you, but their calls are often recorded.
Are Calls with Insurance Adjusters Recorded?
Typically, any calls with insurance are recorded. They say this is for training purposes, but they can use recorded conversations against you.
Do I Have to Give the Insurance Adjuster Information?
If you are making a claim with the insurance company, then the only way to get that claim approved is to give the insurance adjuster the information they need for their investigation. Our lawyers can handle this for you.
Do I Need to Call the Insurance Adjuster?
Your policy might require you to report accidents to your own insurance company. As for the other side’s insurance, you only call them if you are making a claim. Our lawyers can handle this for you.
Can Insurance Adjusters Call Me if I Have a Lawyer?
Once you are represented by an attorney, no one on the other side of the case should contact you without going through your lawyer. Insurance adjusters should not even call you directly.
Call Our Car Accident Attorneys Today
For a free review of your case, call (702) 702-2622 to speak with Mitchell Rogers Injury Law’s Boulder City, NV car accident attorneys.