If you are involved in a car accident while traveling in New York, you’ll eventually need to talk to your insurance company. Although your buy insurance to protect yourself financially, the coverage provider wants to spend as little as possible to resolve your claim. Therefore, it’s important to understand what to expect during the claims process so that you don’t accidentally cost yourself money.
Don’t speculate
Perhaps the worst thing that you can do when talking to an insurance company is to stray from the facts. For example, you may be tempted to say that you might have avoided the motor vehicle accident if you hit the brakes a second sooner. However, the truth is that you have no idea if slowing down could have done anything to change what happened. What you have done is given the insurance company a reason to believe that you might have done something to contribute to your accident.
You only have to talk to your insurance provider
If the other driver’s insurance company gives you a call, you don’t need to provide an additional statement. Instead, you can simply forward a copy of the statement that you made when filing your claim. Taking this step helps to ensure that you’re telling the same story and making it harder to poke holes in your narrative that could complicate your ability to obtain compensation.
If you are involved in a car crash caused by a negligent party, you may receive compensation for medical bills and other losses. However, if you are found to be partially liable for the wreck, your award may be adjusted to reflect this. Saying as little as possible to your insurance company can help you minimize the risk that you’ll implicate yourself in the wreck.