If you were injured in a car accident, you should report it to your insurance company as soon as possible.
Your insurer will assign an insurance adjuster to your claim. This person will ask you for information on all parties involved, the damaged property and any injuries. You should provide copies of photos of the scene of the accident, the police report and witness contact information.
However, beyond providing those pieces of information, you should be careful what you say to the insurance adjuster. Although they may seem nice, their first priority is saving money for the insurance company.
That is why you should strongly consider contacting our Fort Worth car crash lawyers. At Anderson, Cummings & Drawhorn, our number one priority is to help you obtain the compensation you deserve after an accident.
Our experienced attorneys can instruct you on how to deal with an insurance adjuster in a way that protects your rights and helps ensure you receive all of the compensation you deserve.
Co-founding partner John Cummings has been named a Texas Super Lawyer® by Thomson Reuters Service since 2003 and is double-Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
What not to Say to Insurance Adjusters
There are several reasons why you need to be careful when talking to insurance adjusters after an accident:
- Adjusters have no legal obligation to you.
- An adjuster’s job is to minimize your claim.
- Adjusters will take what you say and use it against you.
- Protecting your rights is not part of their job.
With those things in mind, here are some tips for protecting your rights when speaking to insurance adjusters:
- Avoid recorded conversations – If the adjuster asks you about recording any conversations, politely decline. Any recorded statements could be used against you in the future and lower the value of your claim.
- Do not minimize your injuries – There is a tendency to downplay the severity of your injuries. However, this could hurt your chances of recovering all of the compensation you deserve.
- Do not provide a written statement without consulting an attorney – An experienced attorney knows what the insurance adjuster will ask and he or she can prepare you for questioning.
- Remember that you can refuse to answer – If an adjuster from the other driver’s insurance company calls you, you are within your rights to refuse to answer.
Filing a Car Accident Lawsuit
Another option for obtaining compensation after a car accident is filing a personal injury lawsuit against the other driver. Texas is a fault state, which means victims of car accidents are free to file personal injury lawsuits.
However, the Texas statute of limitations for car accident claims is two years from the date of the accident. This means that if you do not file a lawsuit within two years, you lose the right to file a lawsuit.
Our injury attorneys based in Fort Wrth, TX can carefully review your claim to determine if it makes sense to file a lawsuit.
Contact us today by calling (817) 920-9000 or completing our Free Case Evaluation form.