Car Accidents
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, over 6,000,000 auto accidents occur in the United States each year. Approximately 3,000,000 people are injured in auto accidents each year. Worse yet, over 50,000 people lose their lives as a result of car accidents caused by the negligence of another person. Even more families lose income and property at the hands of negligent drivers. Unfortunately, despite collecting billions of dollars in monthly premiums, Insurance companies fight hard to pay little or nothing to injured motorists and the families of those killed by negligent drivers. Most large insurance companies even employee emergency response teams that consist primarily of their lawyers and investigators. Many times the insurance company team arrives on the scene of major accidents before police officers and firemen can complete their investigation. Their goal is simple. They are there to save the insurance company money. You, your family and your rights are not their concern.
When you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident it is important to remember that the other driver’s insurance company’s only goal is to pay little or nothing to you and your family. To increase your chances of success and to maximize your recovery you should always call law enforcement. Do not leave the scene of the accident unless it is unsafe. Even then, you should remain nearby and advise law enforcement of your location. Be sure to get as much identifying information as possible about the other driver and his vehicle.
Whenever possible you should get contact information and identifying information of witnesses. The opinions and recollections of unrelated third party witnesses can prove very valuable when negotiating with an insurance company. This information can often be the difference between no compensation and substantial compensation for your damaged vehicle, lost wages, medical bills and pain and suffering.
Insurance companies employ thousands of adjusters and claim representatives to gather information and make recommendations about what amount, if any the insurance company should pay. Most of these people are very nice and often appear sympathetic to your position. It is important to remember however, that their jobs are to dispose of your claim as quickly and as cheaply as possible. These adjusters and claim reps are very well trained and usually operate from scripts written by the insurance companies’ defense lawyers. Their questions and statements to you are designed to get a certain response. Not only that, all telephone communication with the insurance company is usually recorded and may be used against you in court. For instance, when the insurance adjuster calls your home, identifies herself and asks, “how are you today?” Most people respond, “fine, thank you” or something along those lines. For the insurance company, that response is money in the bank as they will attempt to use the same recording to prove that you were not injured or did not suffer very long as you were “fine” when they called a couple of days after accident. After that the adjuster usually says, “When I got this file, I was glad to see that you were not seriously injured.” Most people cordially respond, “thank you.” Again, for the insurance company that response is money in the bank as they will attempt to use the recording show that you were not injured because if you were you would have corrected the adjuster at that moment.
The Washington Firm deals with insurance companies on a daily basis. As trial lawyers, we are well versed in their tactics. If you or a family member has been hurt in a car accident, motorcycle accident or by an 18-wheeler call us today. Our team has a tremendous track record of success in dealing with insurance companies. We have gotten maximum policy limit settlements on numerous occasions even after the insurance company initially refused to pay. We’ve taken cases other lawyers could not handle and turned them into six-figure car accident settlements. Call our Fort Worth personal injury lawyers and Dallas personal injury lawyers today.