Crash? Top Things You Should NEVER Say To Your Port Charlotte Auto Insurance Provider
Brian O Sutter
Insurance Laws
For many in Port Charlotte, it’s believed that one of the top priority phone calls to make after an area auto accident is to your insurance provider. For this reason, many area drivers make that initial call and begin their claims process without the assistance of an auto accident attorney. Once the claims process gets underway, they’re left wondering why their claim is denied or they’re being lowballed into a settlement way below what they believe their accident to be worth. Anything you say to your insurance provider in Port Charlotte can be used against you in an insurance claim. Insurance providers are businesses first, and their teams are trained to pick out certain words or phrases that can be used to lessen or deny your claim altogether. Even when a driver believes they haven’t said much at all, they could have already said too much. For this reason, it’s always a great idea to have a Port Charlotte auto accident attorney by your side even before you make that initial call.
What Could Be Hurting Your Case
The phrases that could be hurting your case are the same phrases you likely think little about. They come out naturally, they’re meant in a colloquial sense, or they’ve just slipped out in a moment of stress following an auto accident. The most common phrases that could hurt your auto insurance claim are:
• “I think”– In the immediate moments following an accident the world may be a little blurred. You’re stressed and your mind is moving a mile a minute as you process what just happened. In these moments, believing you need to be talking to your insurance provider immediately, you could say “I think…” simply because you’re trying to organize your thoughts. Insurance providers will take this as “proof” that you’re unsure about the accident, which can lead them to deny or lowball your claim. If you don’t have a definitive answer to a question asked by your insurance provider, refuse to answer the question at that time rather than “thinking” about it.
• “I feel fine”– Not all auto accident injuries are apparent straight away. Soft tissue injuries and even broken bones can be masked by the adrenaline that surges immediately following an accident. If you say that you feel fine, and then find the next day that your injuries are more severe than you believed, your insurance could use your initial statement to deny your claim outright.
• Giving names and witness information –If you provide your insurance company with names or contact information, they may use this knowledge to collect their own accident evidence. Like yourself, these individuals may say things that could be taken in ways that lessen your claim. Provide witness information to your auto accident attorney in Port Charlotte, not your insurance provider.
• Don’t give unnecessary details – Your insurance provider will ask questions, and you should only answer them with guidance from your auto accident attorney in Port Charlotte. If you do decide to answer questions without guidance, however, it’s important to answer what is asked and to not provide additional information. Any unnecessary details that may slip your mind in the moment could be used against you later on.
At AllInjuriesLawFirm.com we guide our clients through the auto accident insurance claims process with knowledge and experience. If you’ve been in an auto accident in the Port Charlotte region, contact us and we can guide you through your claims process as well.