Unfortunately, your car insurance company is not on your side after a car accident. Even though you pay your premiums, insurance companies almost always choose profits over policyholders.
After a car crash, one of the first things most people do is report the accident to their insurance company. Before you have time to process what happened to you, your insurance adjuster will ask you for a recorded statement. They may even ask you whether you were injured and urge you to answer other questions you do not yet know the answer to.
Wait to Call Your Insurance Company
Fortunately, you have time to calm down, process the traumatic experience you have just gone through, seek medical treatment, and even contact an attorney before reporting your accident to your insurance company. While insurers will urge you to report crashes as soon as possible, and many of them have 24-hour hotlines, you ultimately have years to file claims against insurance companies due to New York’s statute of limitations.
At the very least, revisit your insurance policy before contacting your insurance company. Most insurers set timelines for when you must report your claim. As long as you adhere to the deadline set in your specific policy, there is no rush to contact your car insurance company. If you are filing a claim against another driver’s policy, there is no special deadline other than New York’s 3-year statute of limitations.
NEVER speak to the other driver’s insurance company without contacting an attorney first. Your car insurance company will prioritize profits over your best interests, but the last thing the other driver’s insurance company wants to do is help you.
The other driver’s insurance company’s entire job is to minimize liability for the at-fault driver and the company itself.
So, How Do I Get the Compensation I Need?
New York is a no-fault state for car insurance, which means your insurance company should pay your medical bills no matter who is at fault. If you can, pay your bills out-of-pocket or with your existing health insurance coverage and file for reimbursement once you understand the extent of your injuries.
No-fault insurance only applies to certain limits, so if you’re seriously injured, you may need to go above your insurance company’s head and file a personal injury lawsuit anyway.
Unlike insurance adjusters, personal injury attorneys are always on your side. Most personal injury lawyers do not get paid unless they win your case, so their interests are uniquely aligned with your own.
Personal injury attorneys also have plenty of experience working with insurance adjusters and holding insurance companies to their legal obligations.
The last thing you need after a car crash is to be manipulated by insurance companies. For this reason, our number one tip for dealing with car insurance companies after an accident is to let an attorney do it for you.
Our lawyers at Foley Griffin have more than 75 years of combined legal experience. We have been working for clients like you – and never for insurance companies – for more than 25 years, and we believe in practicing law with the highest level of integrity.
Like other personal injury lawyers, we do not get paid unless we win, but that’s not why we want to help you. We treat every client with dignity and respect and every case with attention and care because we take pride in what we do.
Let us help you deal with your insurance company and rest assured that we are always on your side.
Learn more about what our team can do for you during a free consultation – call us at (888) 966-8480 or contact us online to schedule yours today.