DiTrapano Barrett DiPiero McGinley & Simmons PLLC issued the following announcement on Oct. 10.
When dealing with insurance companies, it’s important to remember that they’re not looking out for your rights or best interests. They will make more money when you get less. Your actions and statements can be used against you to lower your compensation. This can be intimidating and make communicating with insurance companies more difficult while you’re already trying to recover from a car accident.
DBD Law has protected the rights of citizens from West Virginia for years. We know how speaking to insurance companies is a tenuous situation. Our lawyers can speak to the insurance companies on your behalf so you don’t have to deal with the hassle. We’ll make sure to fight for your rights and to get you compensation that covers pain and suffering, medical expenses, lost wages or loss of earnings, and more.
What Mistakes Do People Make When Dealing With Insurance Companies?
There are a few mistakes people can make when they’re dealing with an insurance company for a claim. The following tips can help you make sure that your claim isn’t jeopardized.
Not Having a Lawyer Evaluate Your Case
An insurance adjuster will evaluate your case and give you an estimate for your settlement. Many people will take their word for it, but you should get a second opinion. Your lawyer will investigate your case, assess your injuries, any property damage, how much work you’ve missed, and what kind of care or treatment you’ll need for the future. Their estimation for the value of your case could be vastly different from the adjuster’s.
Settling Too Quickly
The insurance company may try to make you settle your case as quickly as possible. When you want to put your energy toward your recovery and put the accident behind you, this seems like a good idea. However, you need to take your time with your case so you know the full extent of your injuries and what the case is really worth.
Your injuries may not be apparent until weeks or months after the accident. It may require surgeries or rehabilitation. Settling too quickly would mean that you may not get compensation to cover these medical expenses.
Giving Official Statements
Do not give any official statements before speaking with your lawyer. The insurance company may ask you to make a statement or record a phone conversation, but you should refuse to do any of this. They can use what you say against you to give you less compensation than you deserve.
One example would be telling the insurance company about the pain you’re feeling. But what if one week after the call, the pain has moved or worsened? You may not be able to get compensation for certain kinds of injuries because you didn’t disclose that to the insurance company. To protect yourself from this, don’t agree to give any official statements or talk about your medical condition.
Not Keeping Track of Your Injuries and Damages
Medical records, photographs, and a journal of the pain you’re feeling can help you document how your injuries are affecting you. This will help your claim when it comes to getting compensation for medical expenses and property damage.
If you don’t keep track, you may not remember how difficult or painful it was to move in the weeks following the accident or have physical evidence of how the crash injured you.
Not Telling the Truth
When speaking to insurance companies, you should only report the facts and keep it short. You may have a tendency to start sentences with “I think” or “I believe,” but these make your sentences subjective. You may also try to fill in gaps or make up certain details to have one cohesive story. However, this is lying about what happened and can be used to show that you’re unreliable.
After a car accident, you should get in touch with a personal injury lawyer. They will conduct their own investigation and evaluation of your case and fight to get you the best possible outcome. The lawyers at DBD Law are ready to help you get the compensation you deserve. We can deal with the insurance companies so you don’t have to stress over hurting the validity of your claim. Get in touch with us today and schedule a free consultation and you can speak with one of our skilled and compassionate lawyers about your case.
Original source can be found here.