What Should I Say to the Insurance Company After a Car Accident?

Attorney Stewart Eisenberg | 888-644-4288 | Free Consult

What should I say to the insurance company after a car accident?

Stewart Eisenberg is a Philadelphia attorney with Eisenberg, Rothweiler, Winkler, Eisenberg & Jeck, P.C. In this Quick Question, he explains that you should be very careful what you say to insurance companies because they are not looking out for your best interests.

To learn more, contact the attorney directly by calling 888-644-4288 or by submitting a contact form on this page. The consultation is free and confidential, and you owe no out-of-pocket attorney fees.

Insurance companies are not your friend.

When interacting with insurance companies after an accident, it’s important to remember that they make their money by denying and reducing as many valid claims as possible. This means that some adjusters may attempt to influence you into incriminating yourself, regardless of whether you were actually at fault for the accident or not. Due to this unfortunate phenomenon, the short answer when dealing with insurance companies is to say nothing at all. Refrain from discussing how the accident occurred, what you did or didn’t do as well as what the other person did or didn’t do.

These conversations with the insurance company are recorded and notes are being taken regarding the discussion. In some instances, there could be an element to the situation that you weren’t even aware of, which could prove or even disprove your liability in the situation. It can be extremely difficult to objectively assess a situation immediately after trauma. This is why experts recommend seeking the advice of an experienced car accident attorney before dealing with an insurance company.

Seek legal counsel before speaking with an insurance company.

There are some things it is safe to tell an insurance company. For example, you can tell the insurance company that an accident occurred as well as who was involved, including the other party’s contact information and the police department that handled the accident.

However, anything beyond this information would be safer handled by an attorney. If an insurance adjuster presses for information regarding how the accident happened, it’s a good idea to end the conversation and simply say that you aren’t comfortable handling the conversation without an attorney. You can even choose to refrain from communicating with the insurance company nearly altogether by simply asking for their contact information and letting them know that your attorney will be in touch, even if you are still looking for an attorney to handle your case.

Car accident attorneys are well-versed in handling unscrupulous insurance companies and will know what to say or avoid saying in order to protect you from further liability. Most of these attorneys work on a contingency fee basis as well, which means you won’t have to pay for their services unless/until they win your case.

To learn more, contact Stewart Eisenberg directly by calling 888-644-4288 or by submitting a contact form on this page. The consultation is free and confidential, and you owe no out-of-pocket attorney fees.

Video Transcript:

Rob Rosenthal:

Here's a Quick Question. Do you know what to say to the insurance company after you've been in a car crash? I'm Rob Rosenthal with AskTheLawyers.com. And this is what Philadelphia attorney Stewart Eisenberg says.

Stewart Eisenberg:

Nothing.

But that's a short answer. Insurance companies are not your friends. You can tell the insurance company and you have to report accidents to insurance companies. You can tell them you were involved in an accident, and you can tell them when it occurred, who was involved, what police department was involved, but don't get involved in talking to them about how the accident happened, about what you did or didn't do, what the other person did or didn't do, because they're recording that or they're taking notes on what you're saying, and if something has happened to you that you're not fully aware of what happened, it's immediately after something that happens to you traumatically, it's best to seek a lawyer and not an insurance company, especially the insurance company for either the workers' compensation carrier or the liability carrier for someone who has caused your injury.

Disclaimer: This video is for informational purposes only. In some states, this video may be deemed Attorney Advertising. The choice of lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely on advertisements.