If you have been involved in a car accident in California, you can expect a call from a car insurance adjuster soon after the crash. Often, California car accident lawyers find that drivers involved in an accident unknowingly behave in a manner that affects their claim. Talking too much, admitting responsibly and signing papers in a rush – these are all common mistakes any Los Angeles car accident lawyer is familiar with.
If you speak with an insurance representative, be sure that you are not committing one of these five deadly sins:
• Giving out too much information – when you give an account of the accident to a car insurance adjuster, give only only as much information as is necessary.
• Accepting blame for the accident – this one of the most common mistakes made by persons involved in California car accidents. Do not even apologize after an accident – it could be misconstrued as admitting responsibility for the car accident.
• Assigning blame – do not start blaming the other motorist involved in the accident. Remember that there may be witnesses who could contest your account, and this can undermine your credibility and your claim.
• Relying exclusively on the car insurance adjuster to translate your policy – after an accident, go through your car insurance policy to find out exactly what it covers. Don’t rely on your insurance adjuster to translate the fine print for you.
• Accepting the first payout from an insurance company – in most cases that Los Angeles car accident attorneys come across, first offers are rarely fair to the car accident victim.
Remember that an adjuster is an employee of the insurance company, and his best interests lie in saving the insurer as much money as possible. If you have been involved in a traffic accident in Los Angeles or elsewhere, the safest action is to contact a California car accident lawyer before talking to any insurance adjuster. Your car accident attorney can speak to the insurance company on your behalf, avoiding these deadly sins completely.
