Moving Through Your Personal Injury Journey

One of the most stressful things about being in an accident is reporting the accident to your insurance company afterwards. You're going to need to get in touch with your insurance company to let them know what happened if you need to file a claim.

The following are seven things you might want to do when you report your accident to your insurance company. By doing these seven things, you can put yourself in the best possible position if you end up having to defend your claim with the help of an auto accident attorney down the road.

Wait a little before contacting your insurance company

While you should report the accident quickly, you might want to wait a few hours after the accident to report it. Immediately after the accident, you might not be in the best frame of mind.

It's best to take some time to calm down and start thinking clearly about the situation to avoid making mistakes during your conversation with the insurance company representative. 

Ask who you're speaking with

You should know the name of the representative you report your accident to. This way, you can give their name if your initial call to the insurance company needs to be referenced later on in your auto accident case. 

Report your accident while your lawyer is present

If you experience a serious accident that you think might result in an auto accident lawsuit, it's definitely a good idea to have a lawyer present when you discuss the situation with your insurance provider. 

Be factual and precise

You don't want to accidentally make any false statements when you report your accident. This means that you shouldn't do any guessing. Provide only undeniable facts and be as precise as possible. 

Avoid giving too much information

While you need to report the accident to your insurance company, you don't need to give away additional information that isn't asked for. Answer any questions from the insurance company representative, but be as brief as possible. 

Avoid assigning fault

Again, you want to stick entirely to the facts when you report the accident. You don't want to sound like you're accusing another driver who was involved right off the bat. Stay calm and be factual. 

Avoid saying you're uninjured

It's important to realize that any injury you experience as a result of the accident might not be immediately apparent. Many different types of trauma injury take time to become noticed by the afflicted individual.

Don't say that you're uninjured right away. The insurance company could use this against you down the road if you develop an injury with delayed symptoms.