Insurance adjusters assess vehicle and property damage to determine what your insurance company is liable for after an accident. Insurance adjusters often seem friendly, compassionate, and understanding, but they have ulterior motives. Their primary role is figuring out how little the insurance company can get away with paying for the accident. Insurance adjusters attempt to find inconsistencies or information that may reduce the amount the insurance is liable for. Navigating communication with your insurance company is complicated, so knowing what to say to your insurance after an accident is vital to ensure you get the compensation you’re entitled to. Below, we discuss the “do’s” and “don’ts” of handling communication with your insurance adjuster after a car accident.
Do: Keep Conversations Brief
Whenever you talk to an insurance adjuster after your accident, keep conversations brief and on topic. Stick to the facts of the case. Avoid going into long narratives and stating your opinion about what happened. Don’t guess or speculate about the circumstances of the case. The more you say to your insurance adjuster, the more that could be used against you to undermine or devalue your case. Whenever you talk to your insurance adjuster, have the police report from the accident handy to ensure your statements follow the official report.
Do: Give Yourself Time to Process Before Making Statements
One of the worst mistakes you can make when determining what to say to insurance after an accident is not taking time to process before making an official statement. Although you need to call your insurance after an accident to get your claim started, you don’t have to provide a statement immediately (despite what the insurance adjuster may say). Insurance adjusters will want you to go on the record and make a recorded statement just a few hours after the accident. You may not have time to process what happened, so you could accidentally say something you regret later. You also shouldn’t make an official statement before you’ve been assessed by a doctor and contacted your car accident attorney. Give a statement when you are ready to give it—not the insurance adjuster.
Do: Make A Claim As Soon As Possible
Contact your car insurance as soon as possible after the accident to begin the claim process. You only have 14 days to seek medical attention and file a PIP claim with your insurance after an accident. If you delay notifying your insurance that you’re injured and seeking medical attention, they may try to assert your injuries aren’t as serious as you claim.
Don’t: Admit Fault
One of the most critical “don’ts” when determining what to say to insurance after an accident is to make a statement that could indicate you caused (or partially caused) it. Insurance companies want to pay as little as possible for your accident claim. Admitting fault can make them try to devalue your case.
Don’t: Discuss Your Injuries
An insurance adjuster’s job is to assess property and vehicle damage. They are not medical professionals, so they cannot evaluate your injuries. Your medical team should send reports and paperwork to the insurance company, including visit summaries and diagnoses, so there’s no real reason to discuss medical information with an insurance adjuster. Even simple statements like “I’m fine,” “It wasn’t too bad,” or “I’m not hurt” could be used against you.
Don’t: Say Yes to a Settlement Offer
Your insurance company will want you to settle quickly and offer the lowest amount possible for your car damage and injuries. Never say yes to the first offer. The first settlement is always less than what your case is worth. Also, avoid signing off on any financial-related documents before speaking to a car accident attorney in Orlando to help you negotiate.
Don’t: Give A Recorded Statement
A recorded statement is one of the first things your insurance company may ask for after your accident. This could happen merely minutes or hours after the accident before you’ve had time to process what happened. Insurance companies use this tactic to get an official account and use your words against you later. However, you aren’t required to make a recorded statement—it’s completely optional and is in your best interest to say no. The insurance adjuster will use what you say in your recorded statement throughout your case to downplay your injuries, look for inconsistencies in your story, and reveal statements that admit fault.
When the insurance adjuster asks you to make a recorded statement over the phone, politely decline and state that you plan to discuss your case with an attorney before making an official statement. You can also mention that you will provide a written statement later on.
What If I Already Did These Things?
If you already spoke with your insurance adjuster, hope isn’t lost. Your attorney can help you navigate how to talk to your insurance adjuster and get the compensation you’re entitled to, even if you didn’t follow these guidelines. Contact an experienced Florida car accident attorney immediately so you don’t do anything else that may inadvertently undermine your case.
Navigating What To Say to Insurance with Brett M. Bressler
When you hire an attorney after suffering injuries in a car accident, you have someone on your side to fight for you and get the compensation you’re entitled to for your injuries. We can help you navigate how to handle communication with your insurance company, which may try to undercut what you should receive for your claim to protect their bottom line. Contact our office at 407-599-2002 for a free case evaluation to get started.
