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Discussing Auto Accidents With a California Insurance Adjuster
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety[1] Administration, there were 2,338,000 injuries caused by traffic accidents in 2014, totaling 6,405 injuries per day. Even with this many injury causing accidents, many consumers may not know what steps to take or basic information to share, or not share, after an accident. Individuals may even put their identities and safety at risk by sharing too much personal information.
Consumers generally need only share their names and correct vehicle insurance information, which should include the phone numbers of insurance providers. Sharing additional personal information, such as driver’s license numbers and home addresses, can place consumers, their property and their safety at risk.
Conversation with a California Insurance Adjuster
After an automobile accident, you will likely be contacted by an automobile insurance adjuster. There are several things to keep in mind before and during that conversation:
Personal Information: Provide your name, address and telephone number as well as your employer’s address, but it is not necessary for you to provide any additional private information regarding your income, medical history and the like.
Identify the Caller: Be sure to obtain the name and telephone number of the person to whom you are speaking as well as the name and address of their employer; the insurance company.
Injuries: Even if the adjuster inquires as to your injuries, refrain from providing a detailed description. You may inadvertently leave out a detail or discover later that an injury has worsened or that you have suffered an additional injury.
Accident Details: Do not provide a formal statement or engage in an informal conversation with the adjuster regarding the automobile accident. You can provide the date and time of the accident and identify the make and models of any vehicles that were involved, but are not required to discuss any further specifics with the adjuster.
Call a California Automobile Accident Attorney
If you or someone you love is injured in an automobile accident, it is important to speak to a California auto accident attorney as soon as possible. You may even wish to discuss speaking to an attorney prior to communicating with the insurance adjuster from the other side. The attorneys at the Steven M. Sweat, Personal Injury Lawyers, APC, APC, understand the legal issues involved in auto crashes and have represented victims of vehicle accidents all over the state of California. We never charge a fee unless and until money is recovered for the victim or the victim’s family and offer a free consultation to discuss your case.