An attorney knows what you need to do after your car accident
When another driver causes your car accident in Illinois, you need to deal with insurance companies to get the money you need to pay for your injury-related expenses. This is very important since accident expenses can add up fast.
Dealing with insurance companies can be complicated, though. Instead of helping you get the money you need to get your life back on track, insurance companies often do everything they can to pay injury victims as little as possible or nothing at all.
That’s why it’s important to know what to do and how the insurance claim process works for car accidents, whether at a Chicago intersection or a rural Illinois road.
Tell your insurance company you have been in a car accident
If you have been involved in a serious accident in Illinois, caused by another driver, you are required to notify your insurance company that you have been involved in a car accident. Exactly how long you have depends on the insurance carrier, but most policies require that you notify them promptly. The best advice is to contact your insurance company as soon as possible – or simply contact a lawyer to learn more about your legal rights.
You don’t have to talk to the other driver’s insurance company
Don’t be surprised if the at-fault driver’s insurance company contacts you soon after your Illinois car accident. When they contact you, don’t talk to them. You have the right to refuse to talk to them. Anything you say or put in writing could later be used to reduce or deny your injury claim. That’s often why the other driver’s insurance company is contacting you – they’re hoping you’ll say something they can use as evidence against you to deny your injury claim. If they insist on talking to you, simply tell them to talk to your lawyer. That’s your right.
You don’t have to give insurance companies access to your medical records
Along with wanting to ask you a few questions about your car accident, insurance company adjusters or other insurance company employees may ask you for permission to see your medical records. They often make such a request sound routine. But what they’re often doing is searching for information they can use to deny your injury claim. In particular, they might insist that your car accident injury is due to a pre-existing medical condition. Don’t trust them – and don’t give them access to your medical records.
