The beginning stages of a car insurance claim are critical

Imagine a situation in which a car accident has turned your life upside down. You’re dealing with everything from serious injuries to a damaged vehicle to financial losses (and that’s just the start).

As your injuries allow, you’ll soon find yourself filing a car insurance claim. When doing so, the beginning stages of the process are critical to what happens next.

Here are some tips to protect you:

• Review your policy: Before you do anything, review the finer details of your policy to ensure that you understand your coverage inside and out. The terms and conditions of your policy provide a clear idea of what you should expect moving forward.
• Don’t give a recorded statement: An insurance company representative may request that you provide a recorded statement, such as to explain your version of the events. It’s tempting to do so, as you have nothing to hide, but you could say something that harms your ability to obtain compensation in the future. You should never provide a recorded statement unless an attorney is present.
• Becoming anxious: It’s easy to become anxious when filing a claim and moving through the process, as you want to put your accident in the past. The problem with this is that becoming anxious can cloud your judgment, thus leading to poor decisions. For example, if your insurance company offers you a settlement, you may feel compelled to accept it and move on. But if you do this, you could be leaving a lot of money on the table. Yes, you want to end the process as soon as you can, but don’t get ahead of yourself.

These are the types of things you can do to put your mind at ease and protect your legal rights when filing a car insurance claim.

When you take the right steps at the right time, it’s easier to maintain control over the process to ensure that you get what’s owed to you. Base every decision you make on the terms and conditions of your policy, the details of your claim and your legal rights as a policy holder.