If your vehicle has been hit by another driver’s car, causing damage to your vehicle and harm to yourself, then you should contact the other driver’s insurance company and file a 3rd party claim. After you have taken that action, you should expect a call from the insurance adjuster.
Guidelines to follow during that call
Request the name of the adjuster and the name of the policyholder. The policyholder would be the owner of the car that hit you; the driver on the day of the accident might not have been the car’s owner.
Personal Injury Lawyer in Halifax will ask you to provide the caller with your own contact information. Do not offer any further information. Do not share any details about the collision that forced you to make a 3rd party claim.
Indicate that you expect to hear the adjuster’s voice only a limited number of times in the future. If you have retained a lawyer, you can ask that any further calls be made to your attorney. Take notes during the call. You might obtain some new information. You might also receive a request from the caller/adjuster.
Actions to take following that first call
Send a demand letter to the other driver’s insurance company. Give the name of the responsible party. List your injuries and the treatment used on those same injuries. List any other damages, as well. State the amount of money you seek in the form of compensation.
Why you might get further calls?
By sending a demand letter, you have provided the adjuster with a reason for challenging the basis for your demand. Eventually, that challenge should lead to the start of negotiations.
In other words, if you have not retained a lawyer, the adjuster’s calls in response to the demand letter will cause your own phone to start ringing. Hence, you will speak again with the person that the company’s insurer has charged with handling your 3rd party claim. Claims adjusters normally handle such claims.
What you should know about taking part in the negotiations?
As you recall what happened on the day of the collision, state the facts that you can recollect. Do not make up any details. You must be consistent, if you get asked again to recount the facts about that particular incident.
When you share information about your injuries, be honest. Do not exaggerate the extent of your pain. On the other hand, you should not refrain from highlighting the existence of an ongoing discomfort.
Do not feel that you must holdback your feelings and emotions. Take advantage of this opportunity to explain how your injuries have disrupted your life. That should help you to strengthen your argument. If you can make a stronger argument, then you increase your chances for winning a larger compensation package.