When you’re involved in a car accident, your first instinct will be to call 911 or push the other driver off the road. However, this can lead to further complications. Instead, follow these steps if you want to avoid an insurance claim:
What Victim Needs to do At the Scene?
You need to move to a safe location and collect information. You should also get the reporting police officer’s information, along with your insurance company’s contact information. Afterwards, seek medical treatment if needed.
Move to a Safe Location
When you get in your car, move to a safe location. This can mean anywhere that’s not near the scene of an accident and where people won’t see or hear you. You should also move away from traffic so you don’t get hit by another vehicle or have something thrown at your vehicle. If possible, try to move away from other people as well—you don’t want anyone else involved in your accident who might not be able to see what happened.
Collect Information
- Ask for the names of witnesses.
- Ask for the name of the police officer.
- Ask for the name of the insurance company.
- Ask for the name of your hospital and doctor or nurse that treated you at that time.
Get the Reporting Police Officer’s Information
When you get a police officer’s name, badge number and car number, ask if you can make a copy of their report. If they say yes, ask them to mail it to you so that you can take it with you to court.
Contact Your Insurance Company
- Explain the situation, and ask if they will help you.
- Ask if they will pay for any medical expenses related to the accident and/or injuries sustained.
Seek Medical Treatment
If you are injured in a car accident, or if the other driver knows that you have been injured and has left the scene of the accident, it is important to seek medical treatment as soon as possible. You should also call 911 immediately if any signs of life are lost due to injuries sustained from this crash.
If you were not injured in this incident but simply want to file an insurance claim for damages caused by another driver’s negligence, then we recommend contacting your insurance company first. However, if there is any question about whether or not they will cover your claim at all—or even if they will pay out within certain guidelines—then we suggest contacting an attorney who specializes in personal injury law before making any decisions.
Dealing with the Insurance Company
- Be polite and honest.
- Be patient.
- Be prepared to answer questions, listen, offer advice, apologize and ask for help.
Do not let the insurance company make you feel like they are doing you a favor by paying out the claim.
Make sure that your case is strong enough in your own eyes so that when it comes time for settlement negotiations with them, they don’t get any leverage over you.
Statements to the Insurance Company
There are a few things you should keep in mind when speaking to an insurance adjuster:
Be polite and professional. Answer all questions directly and honestly. The adjuster may ask you about your own medical history, so be prepared for this question. If you have a pre-existing condition or disability that could affect your ability to pay for the accident damages (such as arthritis). It’s important that you give the adjuster an honest answer—they’re trying to figure out how much coverage they’ll need from their company, so if they think there’s something wrong with what they’re hearing from their client then they won’t want them as clients in the future! This can help prevent unnecessary delays in getting fair compensation for injuries caused by car accidents.
Third Party Claims and Disputes
A third-party claim is any claim made by a person or entity other than the drivers and/or passengers involved in an accident. The most common examples of third party claims include:
- A person who was hit by another driver’s car or truck at fault for causing an accident.
- The owner of the property was damaged as a result of someone else driving recklessly on it.
Third party claims can be beneficial because they help reduce costs, but they also come with risks that you should be aware of before settling them. For example, if you settle a third-party claim without going to court first (and thus without getting the chance to argue against their version of events), then if there is evidence proving liability against you on their side then this could result in increased damages being awarded against them during trial proceedings later down the road (this is called “double recovery”).
Finalizing a Settlement, Making the Demand and Negotiating a Settlement or Going to Trial
The final step in a car accident case is negotiating a settlement or going to trial. A settlement is reached when you and your attorney agree on terms, usually by making an offer that they can accept or reject. If they are unwilling to take it, then you will have no choice but to go forward with the trial.
The final phase of your case involves negotiating its terms and conditions with your insurance company. There will be questions like: How much will I receive? What happens if I don’t accept this proposal? Will my claim be denied? How soon should we settle my claim?
Lawyers may also suggest additional documents such as medical records or depositions from witnesses. Who could prove important aspects about what happened during the accident; these documents should not be ignored. Because they are very helpful in proving liability or damages incurred by one party against another party’s negligence/faulty behavior leading up until impact occurred between vehicles involved in a crash scene.
We are here to help you get justice for your injuries claim. Contact GPC Injury Law and our lawyers will offer consultation. Call us at (800)-984-2169 at our law firm in St. Catharines.