No matter who is involved or how specifically the wreck occurred, the people you will likely be interacting with the most after a motorcycle accident will be representatives from your own insurance company and ones from any other insurers representing others involved. This is not just a formality—what you say to these insurance companies and their employees will have an effect not just on how much money you can recover for your damages but also on whether you get paid anything at all.
Seeking help from a seasoned motorcycle accident attorney is almost always the best first step to take when it comes to dealing with insurance companies after a motorcycle accident effectively. Here are some basic tips to keep in mind during phone calls or interviews with adjusters or anyone else from an insurance provider in the wake of a crash like this.
It is vital for people involved in motorcycle wrecks to be nothing but truthful with insurance adjusters since lying to an adjuster for any reason can make it extremely difficult to get a good result from a claim later on. At the same time, injured motorcyclists should also be careful to provide only straightforward answers to questions they were directly asked and to avoid offering additional details or speculation.
It is never a good idea to accept any culpability for a motorcycle accident when dealing with an insurance company, even if they ask directly about it. Accepting even a little bit of fault for a crash could be all the excuse an insurer needs to refuse to pay an injured person anything at all for their claim, regardless of whether someone else was still primarily the one to blame.
Insurance adjusters are trained to be polite, sound sympathetic, and generally do everything possible to convince the people they call that they are a friend who will look out for their best interests. Never forget, though, that adjusters are employed by an insurance company that will do anything possible to minimize their own financial liability after a crash, and that includes using things said in good faith against the person who said them.
It is rarely a good idea to agree to a recorded conversation with an insurance adjuster if they ask for it. No matter what the insurance adjuster says or implies, motorcycle accident victims are not legally required to consent to this type of recording, and agreeing anyway out of politeness can come back to haunt them when it comes time to seek payment for their damages.
It is not uncommon for insurance adjusters to offer a settlement to an injured motorcyclist early on in negotiations, hoping that they will accept the quick payout without realizing it will not come anywhere close to covering all their losses. Instead of accepting or signing off on anything like this, it is always better to discuss the offer with a skilled lawyer first, who could also help negotiate for a better one over the weeks and months to come. Call today to learn more about assistance when dealing with insurance companies after a motorcycle accident.