Your Auto Accident Claim
Opening an auto accident claim is the start of your medical care for this car accident. After treating thousands of patients who have been injured in car accidents, one of the most common things I hear is, "my insurance company will protect me, I have been a loyal company for years."
Unfortunately your own insurance company has one goal: save themselves money by paying the smallest amount they can pay on any claim, even if another insurance company is responsible for the bills. The insurance company is loyal only to the financial bottom line, not to you personally, even if you have been a loyal customer for 25 years.
I have written these tips to try to help you have the smoothest and least stressful experience you can have with your auto accident claim, these tips are based on years of experience treating patients and working with the insurance companies for those patients.
I know not all of these will apply to every accident. These are the 10 tips I think will help you the most move through your auto accident claim.
10 Essential Auto Accident Claim Tips
- Do not record a statement with either insurance company without talking to an attorney. If you are reading this after already recording a statement, then don't worry. If there is a problem from your recording an attorney will be able to help you out.
- DO NOT sign anything without reading very carefully, the insurance adjusters want you to close this auto accident claim as fast as possible. Be careful, the insurance company will try to offer you cash up front for your signature to close the claim. If you do this you are not entitled to receive any medical treatment, and you are not allowed to sue them for more money if you end up having a more serious injury.
- Document, document document. Did I say document? Get a small notebook and write down how you are feeling, what you can't do because of the accident, any issues the accident caused. Try to update this minimum weekly. This will help you a lot when you are ready to settle.
- Be consistent with your medical care, gaps in treatment can harm your claim and can make it more likely the adjuster will close your claim early.
- See a medical doctor at the beginning, the middle and the end of your car accident claim. Your medical doctor will strengthen your claim with the insurance companies.
- Don't over treat. What does this mean you ask? Well, it can be hard to define this, but what I try to explain, is that your treatments must be related to your accident, the adjusters are looking for reasons to close your claim. If anyone on your team suggests you treat more to raise your insurance claim, FIRE THEM. You will risk losing your whole claim.
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