Dealing With the Car Insurance Company in Ohio

The insurance company will investigate the car accident. They will likely ask you to release private medical and other information. Never sign a release without reviewing it with a lawyer first. The insurance companies are very good at using fine print to access more information than a document seems to grant. If allowed to, they will scour your medical, work, financial, and other private records looking for pre-existing injuries and other reasons to reduce your claim.

If you are presented with a request for personal information, contact a lawyer to review the document before you sign.

Whenever you talk to the insurance company, assume you are being recorded. Ohio is a “one-party consent” state when it comes to recording conversations. This means that if just one person in a conversation agrees to be recorded (the insurance agent), the discussion can be recorded without informing others who are present.

Do not provide an informal or formal statement to the insurance company. With your lawyer, draft a written statement supporting your claim.

An insurance company will always try to lowball your settlement. There is no incentive for them to offer you substantial compensation unless they think it will be more expensive to fight you in court. That’s why you need an experienced Ohio car accident lawyer on your side.

The implied threat of legal action is your only leverage against the insurance company. Use it. Ohio car accident attorneys typically work on contingency, which means there is no out-of-pocket expense to hiring one. You have nothing to lose and much to gain by consulting an attorney.

Remember: Once you accept a settlement, your case is closed. It is almost impossible to go back for more compensation. That is why it is critical that you do not accept less than your claim is worth. Make sure you choose the right lawyer – a verified Ohio car accident attorney with a winning track record – to review any offer before taking it.

When you hire an Ohio car accident lawyer, you can immediately rest easy knowing that your attorney is dealing with the insurance company on your behalf.

One of the first things your lawyer will do is tell the insurance company that you now are represented by counsel and as such, they have to send all further communications to your lawyer. While you’ll still be involved in major decisions in your case (like the decision whether to file a lawsuit), you don’t have to talk to the insurance company or respond to their inquiries. Your attorney will deal with the day-to-day while you focus on getting better.

Even if you aren’t sure whether you want to hire a lawyer, it pays to talk to one about your options. Our verified car accident attorneys offer a free, no-obligation consultation, so there’s nothing to lose by getting answers about your legal rights. If you’ve been injured, schedule your free consultation with an Ohio injury attorney in your area today.