Being injured in an accident is one thing, but trying to remember what you should or shouldn't be doing is another. After all, you have a lot going on right now and you are just trying to get through the case as quickly as you can. You want to make sure you get the settlement amount you deserve. If you are in the process of negotiating your claim, here are three things you don't want to do.
Don't give a recorded statement.
Many times, individuals will give their statement to the insurance company without ever thinking anything about it. They figure they are just being helpful and doing their part to move the case along. After all, they weren't the one responsible for the accident, so what do they have to worry about? However, you should never give a statement to the insurance company unless you have your attorney right there with you. If you do, your whole claim is going to be held to what you said in your statement. This benefits the insurance company, not you.
Don't let the adjuster seduce you.
Insurance adjusters have ample experience and training in how to engage the claimant in a discussion. Their goal is to get you to relax and open up about the accident. However, this also means that they will be able to get more information about the accident than you intended. They will attempt to get you to admit to something you didn't do. You need to stay on top of things and always keep your guard up. This will protect your rights and overall settlement amount.
Don't offer an opinion.
While you might have your own opinions of what happened and what you should get out of the whole claim, you should stick with just the facts. Only discuss things like where your car is at, your address, email, phone number and name and when, where and what time the accident happened. There is nothing else you need to get into at this point in time. All of the other information will come later on down the road.
By not doing one of the things above, you can make sure you aren't taken advantage of during your accident claim. The whole process can be very confusing and overwhelming as it is. This is why it is more important than ever that you have a licensed attorney, like those from Randall A. Wolff & Associates, Ltd, by your side at all times.
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