When you’ve been injured in an accident, you need money to get yourself on the road to recovery. After all, medical expenses can quickly mount, blowing past the maximums allowed by your health insurance coverage, and your inability to work can result in lost wages that put your vehicle at risk of repossession and your home in danger of foreclosure. You might think that filing an insurance claim will take care of all these fears, but the truth of the matter is that insurance companies are looking for any reason to deny your claim.
This means that when you file your claim, you need to be as careful and as diligent as possible. There are several mistakes that you can make along the way, and you’ll want to avoid all of them, otherwise your claim will be put at risk.
Mistakes to avoid when filing your insurance claim
Most people don’t realize that there are many mistakes that can be made during the insurance claims process. This includes the following mistakes that you’ll want to make sure you avoid:
- Failing to document: To get as much out of your insurance claim as possible, you need to be able to prove the cause of the accident and your damages. So, immediately after your accident you should start taking pictures of any damage that was caused to your vehicle as well as your injuries, retaining bills and invoices, collecting police reports, and gathering witness statements. If you don’t, then your claim could be at risk of denial.
- Waiting too long to file your claim: It can be hard to get organized and muster the courage to take on an insurance company. But if you delay too long, then physical evidence can become compromised, witness memories can become blurry, and deadlines can be missed.
- Making statements indicative of fault: Admitting fault for your accident can be the death knell for your insurance claim. Following your accident, then, you’ll want to avoid making any statements that can be construed as you accepting blame for the wreck. Don’t apologize, and don’t speculate as to the accident’s cause. If you have to give a statement, keep it brief and stick to the facts that you know. It’s a good idea to hold off on making any statements to the insurance company until after you’ve spoken to your attorney.
- Misunderstanding your policy: Insurance policies are filled with detail and fine print. If you want to get the most out of your claim, then you need to understand every aspect of your coverage. So, read through your policy closely so that you know what to expect as you move forward.
- Settling too soon: If the insurance company thinks that they’re going to be on the hook for your damages, then they’re going to offer you a settlement. It might be tempting to take that first offer, especially in your time of need, but there’s a good chance that this offer is far less than what your claim is worth. Therefore, closely analyze your damages in light of the offer to see if you need to push back for more.
Don’t be on the losing end of your insurance battle
You need resources to obtain the recovery you deserve. Don’t let an insurance company stand in the way of getting what you need. Instead, prepare yourself for the fight ahead by avoiding costly mistakes and understanding how best to approach your claim. If you need help doing any of that, then please be sure to assess your options for help.