Should I Talk to the Other Driver's Insurance Company After an Accident?

After a motor vehicle accident, insurance companies for both drivers try and sort out liability, hinging on the vehicle’s damage, eyewitness testimony, video and photographs, and medical records. You may even get a phone call from the other driver’s insurance company hours after a crash, but talking to them this early on may be to your disadvantage.

Even if the accident was not your fault, an insurance company’s goal is to pay out as little as possible on the claim; in fact, giving you nothing would be optimal for them. Once they’re informed about the accident, an insurance company assigns an adjuster to your case. The job of this adjustor is to extract information from you that the company may try to use against you. Usually, their tactics come off as unassuming and friendly on the phone, which makes it easy for people to talk more than they should.

However, there is no legal requirement for you to talk to the other person’s insurance company. If you want to speak to the insurance company, only give limited personal information such as your:

• Full name
• Address
• Telephone number

Whatever you do, do not talk to them about the details of the accident or your injuries. If they ask for a statement, simply refuse and let them know that your investigation of the accident is still ongoing. If you plan on filing a personal injury claim, you will have to make a written demand for compensation, in which you will describe the accident in detail, but not beforehand.

An insurance adjuster may also offer a settlement during the first phone call. Quick settlements are thrown out there to save the insurance company time and effort. However, these settlements are usually peanuts compared to what you can actually get.

If you’re injured in an accident, you need to contact our Colorado personal injury lawyers at Jorgensen, Brownell & Pepin, P.C. immediately. If you enlist the legal guidance of our firm, we talk to the insurance adjusters on your behalf and negotiate with them for a better settlement. If you’ve been severely injured, it’s important you have enough money to cover your expensive medical bills and lost wages.

Call (720) 491-3117 or contact us online for more information about our services.