After being injured in an accident, there is a good chance that you will be contacted by the at-fault party's insurance company. The adjuster might engage in some initial small talk and tell you how sorry they are that you have been injured and that they want to find out some information about your case before they can start proceeding with processing your claim. So, what exactly should you tell them?

The Simple Answer

Absolutely nothing. You should never speak with the insurance adjuster who represents the person responsible for causing your injuries and damages. If you receive a telephone call from the at-fault party's insurance adjuster, you should tell them that you have a lawyer and will need to speak with them first. If you don't already have a lawyer, tell them that you need to speak with a Connecticut accident attorney before answering any questions or discussing the accident with them.

Never give any information to the insurance adjuster and always be sure to contact an experienced personal injury lawyer after an accident as they can advise you on what you should and should not be doing.

Why Shouldn't I Talk to the Insurance Adjuster?

It seems quite natural that you should give this introductory information to the insurance adjuster so your claim can be processed. You might think; what's the harm in giving this information? After all, the facts of the case should establish that the other person is at fault.

This is far more complicated than you might otherwise believe. The adjuster will tell you that they need to find out about what happened in the accident. Their real intention behind this inquiry is to get you to admit in some way, shape, or manner that you are at least partially responsible for your own injuries and damages to decrease the overall value of your case.

Questions About the Accident

To give some examples, you might be asked how fast you were traveling at the time of the motor vehicle collision. If you indicate that you were traveling over the speed limit, their claim will be that you could not stop in time because you are traveling too fast, thereby shifting responsibility to you.

You might also be asked if you were using your cell phone, adjusting the radio, or engaging in any other type of conduct that might be considered distracted driving. They could ask why you did not turn your car to the right or to the left in order to avoid the collision or why you were not paying closer attention so that you could have avoided the accident.

Again, these questions are meant to show that you are somehow responsible, at least in part, for the motor vehicle collision. Keep in mind that any information that they could possibly want about this accident would be included in the police accident report. So, it should be clear to you that the reason they are asking you this information is to reduce the value of your claim.

Questions About Your Injuries

You will also be asked about your injuries and damages. The adjuster will either want you to admit that you indicated you were not injured while at the accident site or that you did not get medical care and treatment until a day or multiple days later. They will claim, due to these circumstances, that you are okay. All of these questions are meant to get you to admit that you are not currently injured when that situation might be ever-changing. You may not feel pain until weeks after an accident or your injuries could get worse due to activities of daily life.

Lastly, you will be asked about pre-existing problems or conditions. This is so the insurance adjuster can say that the individual they represent is not responsible for damages and injuries that you had prior to this accident.

Contacting Our Firm

If you speak with the insurance adjuster, before contacting an experienced Connecticut accident attorney, you will likely do things to undermine and hurt the value of your case. Our Connecticut personal injury lawyers will tell you not to speak with the adjuster representing the at-fault party. We will also tell you what to do and what not to do and we will provide you with free books, which we have written, that will tell you how to properly develop your case and get more money for your injury claim.

Paying a Lawyer

Our Connecticut accident lawyers also take these cases on a contingency fee basis and advance the costs to develop your case. You will not have to come up with any money out of your own pocket and if we do not recover any money damages for you, you will owe no legal fees and no costs. We are only paid when we recover money damages for you.

Before you make a mistake in attempting to handle your own Connecticut accident or injury case, click here to contact us or call us at (203) 438-7450