Dealing with Insurance Companies
Learning the Do’s and Don’ts
After you have suffered a painful personal injury, it can be difficult to determine what you should do next. You might be struggling to make ends meet after your accident and the medical bills could still be piling up. To make matters even worse, your insurance company might not be giving you any sort of recovery, and they could even be blaming you for your unfortunate incident.
At the Law Offices of Tragos, Sartes & Tragos, our Clearwater personal injury attorneys understand that you deserve to secure full and fair financial compensation. In order to help you through this trying time, we encourage you to contact us today and review this helpful list of the do’s and don’ts for dealing with insurance companies.
What You Should Do
1.Gather contact information: Whether you are in a car accident or a debilitating slip and fall accident, you should get as much information as you can from anyone else who might be responsible. This could be the other drive, the property owner, or whomever. There is no such thing as too much info in this regard, and it could lead to your insurance company pursuing recoveries from them on your behalf.
2.Call your insurance company: The sooner you notify them of your accident or personal injury, the sooner they have to start considering your eligibility for compensation.
3.Save your medical records and bills: One of the main reasons an insurance provider could deny your claim is incomplete or inaccurate medical statements. By keeping copies of your own, you can prove how much your treatment actually cost and why it was necessary.
4.Retain a Clearwater personal injury lawyer from our firm: The truth is that insurance companies are, in the end, trying to make money. By giving you minimum compensation – if any at all – they can increase their profits. Before you get any further, let us help you to ensure nothing is overlooked and that your rights are not ignored.
What You Should NOT Do
1.Divulge too much to the opposition: Your own insurance company – or if someone else was involved with your accident, their insurance company – will surely try to get you to misspeak by asking leading questions, or by having you fill out a statement of what happened. The aim is to find a way to disqualify you from winning any benefits. The best option is to let us talk to them.
2.Sign anything: Work with an experienced personal injury attorney to disclose what is hiding in the fine print of a statement or contract. If you are told to sign anything, don’t until you get our firm by your side. Tell them you want your own lawyer present before you sign anything.
3.Accept initial settlements: The first offer an insurance company presents will likely be less than you deserve. The insurance company seeks out the minimum they can legally give you, and expect you to leap at the first dollar sign you see.
4.Admit guilt: Even if you think you are partially responsible for your own personal injury, there is nothing that says you have to say it. After all, you might be unaware of any number of factors that actually strip you of any liability. You should also refrain from apologizing, as this can be seen as an admission of guilt.
One More Thing to Do: Get Help Today
It is no secret that insurance companies can be less than upfront about their actions. While we have tried to provide a comprehensive list of the major do’s and don’ts when dealing with them, it is entirely possible that there are other pitfalls you might need to avoid. Our Clearwater personal injury attorneys – all of whom are 10.0 “Superb” Rated on Avvo – would be happy to help you navigate your complicated insurance matters with confidence. Schedule a free case evaluation with our firm to talk to a team that cares about you and your recovery.