No matter how small the damage or injury that has resulted from a given collision, there is always a chance that the one driver could file a claim against the other driver’s insurance company. That is why any car owner and driver ought to notify the insurance company about any accident that has involved the insured vehicle.
Procedure to use when contacting own insurance company
Make the call within 72 hours of the reported accident. During the call, provide the person at the other end of the line with the significant details.
–Offer the names of those who were involved in the incident.
–Disclose information on what took place before and during the collision.
–Share the names of any witnesses.
–Give the names of those that were injured.
–Go into detail on the nature and location of any property damage.
–Disclosure of the above facts could be given to your own insurance company, but not to any representative that was working for the defendant’s insurer.
During the same call, be sure to get the name of the person that is at the other end of the line. Have pencil and paper ready, so that you can record that name. Also write down the date and time of the call.
Procedure to follow after contacting your own insurer
Personal Injury Lawyer in St John’s knows that you will need to wait for a confirmation letter from the offices of the company that you have contacted. If you do not receive a letter confirming the company’s receipt of your call, then you must plan on composing a follow up communication. That would give the date and time of your past contact, along with the name of the person that you spoke with.
After receiving the confirmation letter, you must wait to see if the other driver has chosen to file a claim. If the other driver does file a claim, then you should cooperate with the ensuing investigation, the one to be carried out by the other party’s insurance company.
That cooperation should include delivery of the relevant medical records. Do not sign a form that allows those working on behalf of the other party to gain access to your medical records. You should study the records and share only those that are relevant to the most recent claim. Do not agree to give a taped statement about what took place at the time of the reported incident. Only offer such a statement, if your own lawyer can be present, when the taping takes place.
Expect cooperation from both insurance companies. In the absence of such cooperation, seek the assistance of a lawyer, one that has been consulted earlier, about the injury causing, on-road incident.