If you’re injured as a result of negligence, insurance companies enter the picture right away. They arrive with adjusters, requests for statements, and settlements that may sound plausible at first. However, this is what most victims don’t realize: insurance companies work for profit and they succeed if you decide to settle for a payment far less than you actually deserve. To avoid this, you need to know the right questions to ask after an injury.

Do I Need to Give a Recorded Statement?

Typically, insurance companies will want a recorded statement soon after your accident. This is presented as a necessary procedure by the insurance adjuster, with assurance that this will increase the claims processing speed. However, there is something that they don’t stress: once you say something, you can’t take it back.

After giving a recorded statement, you’re bound by language that you don’t entirely comprehend until you speak with a legal expert. If you say something that’s inaccurate, downplay your symptoms, or don’t report a symptom that manifests itself later on, the insurance carrier will use that statement against you.

You may ask this question to yourself and insurance companies, and take your time to respond. You may choose not to say anything, or you may request that the questions be put in writing so you can think about what to say. You may also say that you’d like some time to consult with your legal representative before giving any statement. If you’re injured in Tacoma and unsure about these early steps, it’s recommended to get in touch with a Tacoma personal injury lawyer to move through the process and ensure your rights are protected.

What are the Policy Limit and Coverage Options?

Interestingly, if a person gets injured, there usually are more than one layer of coverage that will kick in. There will be a policy that belongs to the person who caused the crash. There may also be coverage through their employer if they were driving a work-related vehicle. There’s also the umbrella policy to consider, but quite often, insurance adjusters don’t explain that more than one layer of coverage may come into play and affect your compensation.

Insurance companies don’t want you to ask this question as it forces them to disclose the amount of money that’s truly available for your compensation. Many people with injuries often wind up settling for less because they didn’t realize that there was more coverage available. A claims adjuster working for the primary carrier of the at-fault driver won’t always talk about higher-limit policies or umbrella coverage because it may increase your claim.

Here, you must request the declaration pages from the at-fault driver’s insurance policy, as these documents clearly outline the policy limits. Then, you should ask if there are other policies that may be relevant in this claim. It’s also advisable to ask about commercial policies if the policyholder was on duty when the accident happened. If you notice information that’s unclear, it means you should immediately use the services of someone experienced in insurance investigations.

Endnote

Most people don’t realize that insurance companies count on you to not ask any questions. What they hope is that you will take the initial offer, provide statements without thinking, overlook other ways that you might qualify for compensation, or question their math. By asking these questions, you shift the paradigm entirely and improve your chances of receiving better compensation.