After a truck accident, there is a lot to process. Most victims of truck accidents will have serious injuries that need to be taken care of. This process can take a very long time. On top of that, their vehicle is likely destroyed beyond repair, and you may be dealing with the process of filing a truck accident lawsuit. The last thing a truck accident victim wants to think about in the aftermath of the accident is what to say to a trucking company’s insurance provider when they make a phone call.
It is advisable to say as little as possible to a trucking company’s insurer after your accident. The insurance company’s job is to get things from you that will benefit the trucking company. In doing so, it hurts any lawsuit you may want to bring against the trucking company.
For a free case review, call Rice, Murtha & Psoras’s Maryland truck accident lawyers at (410) 694-7291.
How to Handle a Trucking Company’s Insurance Directly Contacting You
After a truck accident, you may not know what to do if you get a call from a trucking company’s insurance provider. It is very important to any case you may want to bring that you try and follow certain guidelines when you are talking to a trucking company’s insurance.
Direct Them to Our Lawyers
The safest and most advisable thing to do when talking to a trucking company’s insurance after an accident is to tell them to speak with your lawyer. This makes it far less likely that something you say will hurt your case. Our Baltimore truck accident lawyers know how to handle insurance companies in a way that will best represent your side of the story and protect you from insurance companies twisting information to their benefit.
Say as Little as Possible
It is also a good idea to not speak with adverse insurance companies any more than you have to. Ultimately, the insurance company is trying to get information to help their case and hurt yours. Accordingly, you do not want to give them anything that will be used against you.
Be very careful about what you say to an adverse insurance company. Even saying something as innocuous as, “I messed up,” “I could have done better,” or “My bad,” can be used to hurt your case in court. That being said, do not lie if you have to speak to an insurance company, as lying is one of the things that it is almost impossible to bring a case back from in court.
Because talking to an insurance company can be difficult, even if you know what to do going in, it is best to respectfully let the insurance provider know that they should speak to our lawyers.
Do Not Accept Initial Settlement Offers
Another thing a truck company’s insurance provider might do is immediately offer to settle the issue for a certain amount. You should be very wary of any settlement offer an insurance company initially put forward. One of the goals of an insurance company is to save money for their client – the trucking company. Therefore, any initial offer is likely to be calculated to be acceptable for the trucking company and not necessarily suited to satisfying your needs. The insurance provider will try to pressure you into accepting this offer by bringing up things like medical bills or time off work to recover from injuries. However, the offer will likely be insufficient to meet your needs, and it will not be all the compensation you can get from a truck accident lawsuit. It is best to have attorneys look over any settlement offer to assess its merits.
Information Truck Insurance Companies Try to Get After an Accident
When a trucking company’s insurance provider calls you after an accident you were in, they are doing so to get information from you. It is important to remember that this information gathering is not impartial. The insurance company is trying to get things that benefit the trucking company in a potential lawsuit or insurance claim.
When a trucking company’s insurance provider contacts you, they are looking for information about your accident. The purpose of this is to get something from you that helps their client avoid paying hefty damages and stops insurance from paying out its policy. Therefore, while it may be compelling to give them your side of the story, do not do so under any circumstances. Even if you tell them how things played out in a way that is favorable to your side, doing so will still hurt your case more than it helps. First, try as you might, the insurance company and the trucking company’s lawyers will find something in there to use against you. Second, it gives them information that they can use to find defenses and disprove in a court of law. While you may have to say this information in a deposition later on, it is better to do so in the presence of our Rockville, MD truck accident lawyers than over the phone with no legal assistance.
Things You Can Say to an Insurance Company After an Accident
If you do have to talk to an insurance company, you should keep the interaction short. Simply obtain the insurance company’s information and the name and contact information of whoever is talking to you, and then direct the company to our lawyers and forward their information to the same. They may not be pleased with this outcome, but you have no obligation to speak with adverse insurance companies after a truck accident.
Call Our Truck Accident Lawyers Today
If you need assistance with your case, call our Bethesda truck accident lawyers from Rice, Murtha & Psoras at the number (410) 694-7291.