What Shouldn’t I Say to My Insurance Company after an Accident?

If you’ve been injured in a traffic accident that was caused by someone else’s negligence, your claim will initially be processed through your own insurance company. While it’s easy to assume that an insurance company will do what it is paid to do and compensate you for your damages, this assumption is not likely to be in your best interest. An experienced New York City personal injury attorney will skillfully fight to help ensure that you obtain the compensation necessary to cover your full range of financial, physical, and emotional damages.

The Insurance Company

Even though you are the insurance company’s customer, it’s important to remember that it is a for-profit enterprise that is heavily invested in increasing those profits. In other words, it will do what it can to pay you less rather than more, and this often amounts to less than you need to reach your most complete recovery.

What Not to Say and Do

In order to move forward with your accident claim, you’ll need to communicate with the insurance company involved. As such, it is important to know those things that you should generally never say or do regarding the insurance company. These include:

• First, take some time to collect your thoughts and to calm down after the accident before discussing your accident claim with the insurance company. The fact is that you are likely to be in a state of shock, confusion, and/or extreme agitation in the aftermath of a violent traffic accident and allowing yourself the time you need to regain your composure is a good idea.
• Do not admit fault. It’s only natural to be sorry that an accident happened, but don’t let your sense of propriety cause you to apologize for something you aren’t responsible for – or aren’t entirely responsible for. You can explain the accident’s sequence of events without including your opinion about fault.
• Don’t assure the insurance rep that you weren’t injured. Even if you don’t think you were injured in the accident, it’s very important to keep in mind that some injuries are asymptomatic to begin. You are well-advised to seek medical attention and to carefully follow your doctor’s instructions after a traffic accident of any magnitude.
• Don’t make a formal statement to the insurance company unless your experienced personal injury attorney advises you to do so.
• Don’t accept a settlement offer from the insurance company before carefully going over the matter with your legal counsel.

Don’t Wait to Consult with an Experienced New York City Personal Injury Attorney

If you’ve been injured by another motorist’s negligence, allow the dedicated personal injury attorneys at Lipsig, Shapey, Manus & Moverman in NYC to skillfully negotiate with the insurance company on behalf of your best interests. We have decades of experience, extensive legal insight, and all the necessary resources, so please don’t hesitate to contact us online or call us at 212-285-3300 for more information about how we can help you today.