How Insurance Companies Investigate Personal Injury Claims

Personal Injury News | September 19, 2019

All insurance companies have a certain process they go through when investigating personal injury claims for car accidents. Your personal injury claim is treated just like every other claim that enters their office–with skepticism. However, some insurance companies go farther than that and may encourage claims adjusters to deny or delay your claim to avoid losing money. Understanding the basic process can help prepare you for what to submit. Talk to a Central New York Personal Injury Lawyer if your claim was wrongfully denied or delayed.   

Meeting Your Claims Adjuster

The first thing that will happen when you submit your personal injury claim is you will be assigned a claims adjuster. The claims adjuster is the person standing between you and fair compensation for the damages you suffered. Some adjusters may ask you for more information before they can accept your claim, but others may attempt to delay or outright deny your claim for no apparent reason.

They may ask you for a copy of the police report, medical records, and pictures of your damaged car. In some cases, they may even visit the scene of the accident, talk to witnesses, and talk with your doctor directly. This is all done to corroborate your story to ensure you are telling the truth. If certain details are missing like the name of the other driver or a police report, you may have trouble obtaining compensation.  

Preparing Your Injury Claim in Advance

To avoid missing an important detail that could help your personal injury claim, is it helpful to know how to prepare for your claim in advance. After the car accident, be sure to write down what you remember happening, How Insurance Companies Investigate Personal Injury Claimsthe location, the date, and the time. Ask for a copy of the police report.

Collect the other driver’s information, including a name and insurance information. Take pictures of the car damage and any injuries you suffered. See a doctor if you suspect injuries that require medical attention because you will need a medical record to be compensated for medical expenses.

Organize all this information and contact a lawyer if you have further questions. Then submit this to the insurance company and see how they respond. You may want to hire a lawyer if they fail to respond for a long time or deny your claim for unknown reasons.  

Car Accidents Attorney in New York

Car accidents can lead to substantial damages and financial losses that can be difficult to recover from on your own. This is why New York enforces the no-fault law to ensure both parties are compensated. However, some insurance companies may still try to cheat you or trick you into accepting a lower settlement. If this happened to you, contact a Syracuse Car Accidents Lawyer who can help you earn the compensation you need.

At Gattuso & Ciotoli, we offer our clients four areas of legal practice. Call us at (315) 314-8000 for a free consultation today. We are located in Central New York, Syracuse, Watertown, Binghamton, Syracuse, North Syracuse, Camillus, Liverpool, Cortland, and Auburn. We will work with you to defend your rights.