There are specific steps to take to make sure your claim isn’t denied when it comes to filing auto insurance claims. The process of filing an auto insurance claim can be tricky sometimes, and it could turn out to be stressful, delayed, or denied completely. Knowing the right filing process will help you get your situation resolved as soon as possible. If you’ve gotten involved in a car accident, follow these simple steps to protect your ability to make an auto insurance claim.

1. Get An Insurance Lawyer

Contact your insurance lawyer quickly and do that at the accident scene if possible. Usually, if the other party involved in the accident is at fault, their insurance company may offer you a low-ball settlement. You need your insurance attorney to be there to help you review such a settlement. If you are in North Carolina, you simply need your Hardison & Cochran insurance lawyer to help you navigate everything regarding the claim process right from the beginning to the end of it. An insurance lawyer is knowledgeable about what an auto insurance claim entails better than you do, and you need that expert input to your claim.

2. Keep Proof Of The Accident

Keep proof of the accident, record videos, take pictures, and so on at the accident scene. Your insurance company may demand certain details of the accident from you, like the names of everyone involved in the accident, location, pictures of damages, etc. Failure to provide proof of the accident will reduce the validity of your claim. So make sure you take a lot of pictures of the accident from different angles and keep other evidence of the accident. Also, get the necessary information from other parties involved in the accident.

3. Don’t Delay Medical Aid

If you want to file a claim to cover injuries sustained from the accident, you should get medical treatment without delay. If you don’t do that, your insurance company may counter your claims. If you don’t get medical quickly after the injury, your insurance company may claim that you did not get the injury from the accident. Providing medical bills from the hospital or doctor treatment certificates can serve as proof that you underwent treatment. This would put some more weight behind your insurance claim.

4. Answer Questions With Facts

Your insurance company will ask you questions about the accident. You have to stick to answering those questions with facts. Be sure about what happened before you give your answers about what happened to your insurance company or insurance adjuster. Don’t give mere opinions or estimates to the important questions you would ask regarding the accident.

5. File Your Claim As Soon As Possible

Contact your insurance company to file a claim as soon as possible, so you can get going with filing your claim. Contact your insurance company the moment you and the other people involved in the car accident are okay. You would need to ask your insurance company some important questions such as how long do you have to file your claim, what you need to file the claim, etc. You may even start your claim from a mobile app if your insurer offers such an app.

6. Don’t Sign Anything or Record an Official Statement with the Insurance Adjuster:

You must be careful when dealing with an insurance adjuster. Try not to record any official statement with the insurance adjuster. You may still be in shock from the car accident. If you sign anything or record any statement at that point, you may omit some important information. You may even exaggerate some things or end up apologizing, which would be used against you regarding your claim. The insurance adjuster may ask you for your medical files and then use them to disprove your injury claim by saying the conditions were pre-existing.

For you to understand who an insurance adjuster is, let’s talk about their roles. An insurance adjuster has three primary duties:

– Prevent the insured from making wrong or fraudulent claims. To make sure the insured is not lying.
– Find a way to settle claims at a low price.
– Settle claims as quickly as possible.

Above all, the way insurance claims work from the insurance company’s end, or insurance adjuster is not entirely in your favor. For example, the insurance adjuster may argue against your injury claims on the basis that the injuries were pre-existing. Ultimately, what you need to have a successful insurance claim is an experienced insurance lawyer. Your insurance lawyer will help you prepare the necessary statement appropriately, so your claim does not get faulted.