Insurance Companies’ Process After a Car Accident

What should you expect in dealing with car insurance after an accident? In most cases insurance companies will do one of two things:

1. An insurance adjuster will contact you repeatedly following your wreck offering a quick settlement within days of your accident.
2. Insurance will not contact you becoming increasingly difficult to reach.

What to Do if Insurance Attempts to Settle Your Claim Immediately?

First, it’s important to know that this is very common. Many insurance companies use this tactic!

Adjusters offer a settlement within the first few phone calls to car accident victims for one simple reason: it saves the insurance company time and money. A quick resolution may seem appealing at first, but you shouldn’t take the bait.

Why Should I Not Accept a Quick Settlement Offer?

While it might seem like a time-saver, accepting this initial settlement may cost you dearly. In the first days or weeks after a car wreck, you can’t yet know what your claim is really worth. Do you have injuries that will require extensive medical attention, therapy, or surgery? What is the true extent of the damage to your car? Will you lose wages from missed days of work or experience accident-induced anxiety that keeps you from caring for your family? It takes time to understand the wreck’s true impact on your life.

Once you agree to a car accident settlement, it’s game over. You cannot negotiate for another settlement afterward.

What to Do If Insurance Won’t Return My Calls?

After initial contact, you may have a hard time getting the adjuster to answer or return your calls. Some people report that the insurance company stops communicating with them entirely!

What can you do when it feels like the insurance company is giving you the runaround?

Be Patient, But Be Persistent.

Some insurance companies use this as a strategy to slow your claim process. They hope to make you so desperate to pay your bills that you’ll accept a much lower settlement.

Don’t give up after one or two unanswered calls. It’s not always feasible for the adjuster to return your call the same day, but you can reasonably expect a return call within 1 to 2 business days.

When you leave a voicemail, give detailed information and include your claim number. This makes it faster for the adjuster to access your claim, meaning he or she can respond more quickly.

Send Emails.

Try another method of communicating. You may receive an email reply before you’ll have a phone call returned. The adjuster can answer your email at any time of the day, rather than only when you are also available. Email has the added bonus of giving you a record of all communication with the insurance company.

Ask to Speak to a Supervisor.

If the adjuster continues to dodge your calls, you may want to escalate things. Ask to speak with a supervisor or file a complaint about the adjuster.

Hire a Lawyer.

Hiring a lawyer is one of the most effective ways to handle a frustrating insurance adjuster. When you hire a personal injury lawyer, he or she will take the burden of dealing with the insurance company. The attorneys at Taylor King Law negotiate with insurance adjusters on a daily basis; they know how to get results.

Hiring a lawyer also means that the insurance adjuster will take your claim more seriously. This is a sign that you mean business and will not be deterred by their delay tactics.

Injured in a Car Wreck?

If you were involved in a car wreck, it may be wreaking havoc on your life. You may be without a vehicle or unable to work, with medical bills and car repairs piling up. You may fear that your financial stability and good credit history are at risk.

The good news is that if the other driver was at fault, you have options. The attorneys at Taylor King Law are prepared to handle the legal proceedings and negotiate with the insurance companies to ensure you receive fair compensation. Our law firm has helped thousands of accident victims in over 25 years of legal practice.

At Taylor King Law, we handle your case like a long-distance race, not a sprint. We will always work to settle your case as quickly as possible so that you can get your bills paid and move on with your life, but we will never cut corners or allow the insurance company to take advantage of you. It’s a process, and we are honored to walk through it alongside you. Because our attorney’s fee is a percentage of your settlement, if there is no settlement then there is no fee.

Don’t allow someone else’s negligence to permanently impact your life. Protect your rights and hire an experienced attorney.

From obtaining your police report to ensuring your medical bills are paid, we’re committed to being on your side – by your side.

If you think you may have a case or have questions, call our local office in Jackson, Mississippi, at 601.385.0582 or reach us at our toll-free number 1.800.CAR.WRECK for a free consultation. You can also reach us online by filling out the form below or using our online chat feature 24/7.

About Taylor King

“The best part of practicing, for me, has always been working with clients, explaining legal issues to people who don’t have a background in law. I took my first personal injury case in 1992 when a client brought me the stack of letters she had received from personal injury lawyers after she was involved in a car accident. Instead of hiring one of those firms, she asked me to represent her. As I worked with more and more people who had been seriously injured, I realized that many people do not know their rights as accident victims.

Eventually, I started the Taylor King law firm to meet the needs of my friends and neighbors. Our first office was a two-room, 125-year-old building in downtown Arkadelphia.

We’ve grown since then; today we have a team of more than 20 attorneys and over 50 professional staff members who are ready to help. With an office in Jackson, Mississippi, we’ve got you covered.”

— Taylor King

Office in Jackson

401 East Capitol Street, Suite 216, Heritage Building, Jackson, MS 39201

• Toll-Free 1.800.CAR.WRECK
• Out of State 1.877.213.5660
• Local 601.385. 0582
• Fax 769.572.4575