You’ve been in a car accident. Not long afterward, someone from an insurance company calls you on the phone asking questions about it. What should you do?
It depends on which company is calling. If it isn’t your insurance company, meaning the one that issued you the policy on your vehicle, then you don’t have a duty to speak to them. That company is called the “liability carrier,” the company (or companies) that insures the other person or people involved in the crash. Liability carriers like to start their investigations quickly into what happened in the accident so they can determine how much they think a claim is worth, and how much they think they can pay to settle it. Those two dollar figures aren’t always the same.
If the insurance company on the other end of the line is your insurance company, then you likely have an obligation under your insurance policy to talk to them. Most liability insurance policies require the holder, you, to help the insurer investigate claims on the policy. That could be an injury claim made against you by another person or driver, or it could be your own claim for no-fault benefits on your own policy.
One thing that people involved in car crashes should know, however, is that you are allowed to have an attorney on the phone call with you. Your attorney can also help you to prepare for the questions the insurance company is likely to ask you, along with other processes insurance companies use in their investigations.
If you’ve been in a car crash and don’t know where to turn, give our office a call at 502-633-6002. We’ve been helping injured people navigate the insurance claims process to get the relief they deserve for more than 40 years, and our experience and know-how will work for you, too. Call today for a free consultation!