Aside from injuries, dealing with insurance companies after an auto accident can be a frustrating aspect of a crash. Here are six things you can do to stay ahead of the game when working with your own insurance company and that of the other driver.

1. Report the Accident to Your Insurance Company Right Away — Don’t Delay

Your insurance company may refuse coverage if the accident isn’t reported promptly, even if it is a minor one.

2. Ask Your Insurance Agent About Advantages Available to You Under Your Own Policy

You may have coverage for car repairs, a rental car, wage loss or medical bills under your policy. These advantages are used while you wait to settle your claim with the other motorist. However, using these benefits shouldn’t increase your insurance rates if the injury wasn’t your fault.

3. Work With Your Insurance Company, Not Against It

Your insurance company must record your version of how the injury occurred. They may need to inspect your car and discuss your injuries with your physicians. In fact, refusing to work with your company might cause you to lose benefits. Also, it may be more difficult to reach a settlement later on.

4. Don’t Sign Anything Given to You by the Other Driver or Their Insurance Company Without Talking to Your Lawyer

Precious rights and benefits can be lost under your own policy if you sign any documents, even ones that you perceive to be insignificant.

5. Don’t Provide the Other Driver or Their Insurance Company With a Recorded Statement

Attorneys typically counsel against letting someone record your voice and there are no laws that state you must provide a recorded statement to the other driver or their insurance company. Even if you are pressured to do so or having nothing to conceal, these statements can be taken out of context and used against you later.

6. Seek Legal Counsel Early in the Process

Most attorneys who help injury victims and their families provide a free initial consultation or no cost phone guidance. Early legal help can prevent challenges later. Consider hiring an attorney to manage the claim as soon as the accident occurs. Accident victims with attorneys typically recuperate two to three times as much as those who attempt to take care of an accident claim independently, even if the claim is settled out of court.

Contact Idiart Law today to learn more about your rights after a car crash. Call today at (855) 772-6969.