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Watch What You Say To Your Insurance Company After An Accident

2 July 2015 by Lawrence Miller

Many individuals wrongly assume that they can tell their insurance company anything to help their case after a car accident; make sure you don't make this mistake. Here is what you should say to your insurance company after you have been involved in a car accident.

Remember That All Your Conversations Are Recorded

It is easy to zone out when you call your insurance agency and have to listen to the little speech that the agent on the phone gives before your phone call really gets going. However, it is important to pay attention to what they are saying. The vast majority of insurance companies record all of their phone conversations. They may tell you it is for quality assurance purposes, but remember, they also listen to these recordings to determine whether they should approve or deny your claim. 

Stick To The Facts About The Accident

When you call your insurance agency and tell them about your accident, the most important thing you can do is stick to the facts. Tell your insurance company:

• The date of the accident
• The time the accident occurred
• What the weather was like at the time of the accident
• The road you were driving on
• What direction you were driving
• How fast you were going
• How you responded to the other vehicle(s)

Even when telling your insurance company information that you feel is straight forward, make sure you use the words; "in my opinion" or "to the best of my recollection" before any statements you make concerning the accident. You should avoid telling your insurance company:

• About your physical or mental state of mind
• That anything was distracting you
• How far away you think the other driver was from you
• That you are sorry or that the accident was your fault

Do not tell your insurance company anything that could be subjective, even something as simple as how far away you think the other vehicle was. Your insurance company could determine that you had enough space to avoid the accident if your estimate is off, and deny your claim. Just keep it simple. If you don't feel comfortable answering the question, just say "I don't know" or "I can't answer that question right now." If you really feel uncomfortable or unsure of what to say, you can always ask to call back later to continue the conversation. 

Fill Your Insurance Company In On Physical Damage To Your Vehicle

You also need to report all physical damage to your vehicle. In order to make sure that you report the damage accurately you can either take pictures of the damage to use as you report the damage to your vehicle or walk around your vehicle and report all the damage that you can see.

Finally, make sure that you note that you are only able to report on the damage that you can see, and that their could be additional structural damage to your vehicle as well. Your insurance company will send out an adjuster to follow-up on your assessment of the physical damage to your vehicle.  

Let Them Know About Any Injuries As Well

After you have received medical treatment, you need to inform your insurance company about any injuries you or your passengers sustained during the accident. Try to stick with formal diagnoses that your doctor gives you. If you have any injuries that are undiagnosed, don't make a guess about what is wrong with you. Just let your insurance company know that you are waiting for a formal diagnoses from your doctor. 

The most important thing to remember when you are talking to your insurance company is to be as direct as possible, and avoid giving too much detail or sharing your emotional reaction with them. If you're not sure what to say to your insurance company, or don't feel comfortable talking to your insurance company, contact a professional personal injury lawyer, like those at Sarkisian, Sarkisian & Associates PC, before you call your insurance company.

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