Insurance Notification
Notifying Your Insurance Company
Your insurance company should be notified as soon as practicable following a car accident. Once your obligations at the scene (Check List: Critical Actions To Take At Accident Scene) are completed and your medical needs have been attended to, the next step should be to notify your insurance company that you have been in an accident and have been injured as a result.
Immediate Notificaiton of Injuries
If you or anyone else has been injured or suspect that you may have been injured in the accident, make sure that the insurance company is provided that information as soon as possible. You will want the following information handy when you contact your insurance company:
- 1. Policy number.
- 2. Vehicle Information.
- 3. Personal information including date of birth, social security number and similar information for other family members involved in the accident.
- 4. Other driver’s exchange of information sheet.
- 5. Accident location and a detailed description of the accident. (If possible)
- 6. Investigating law enforcement agency.
- 7. Responding paramedic information.
- 8. The treating physician or at least the hospital you were transported to.
Get Medical Attention
Car accidents are stressful situations where adrenaline and shock will often times prevent injured people from noticing their injuries and reporting them immediately. If there is any doubt as to the severity of your injury from an accident, you should always err on the side of accepting medical attention. When in doubt get checked out. Additionally, many muscular, ligament and other injuries will become progressively worse the days following the accident.
If no medical treatment was obtained at the scene or on that day, do not hesitate to follow up with a physician when the pain and injury becomes apparent. For these reasons if your insurance company asks if you have been hurt in the accident make sure to inform them of any trouble areas at that time, if you are unsure of the extent of the injury at least let them know you are experiencing pain or discomfort as a result of the accident.
Answering Injury Questions
If pressed for an answer of whether or not you were injured the answer should either be yes or that you are not sure. If you answer the question with an affirmative “no” you run the risk of the insurance company attempting to avoid covering the injuries after they do become troublesome. Again, when in doubt get checked out.
In situations where the injury is severe and obvious, if possible and practicable, your insurance company should be notified of that fact either by yourself or a family member. Hospitals will often note whether the medical treatment was necessitated by a car accident and will then submit the bills directly to the insurance company if the proper paperwork is completed. However, in serious injury situations no releases or paperwork should be signed without first consulting with a qualified accident injury attorney.
Personal Injury Lawyers
We invite you to contact us whenever you are involed in an accident and sustain injuries. The confusion of an accident can result in confusing statements, some irrational one that can have a long-term effect on your ability to recover. We are available 24 hours a day, just call: 515.226.0500.
We'll be the help you need when you need it most.
If you aren't sure if you should contact the insurance company on behalf of someone else who was hurt, just ASK AN ATTORNEY or call 515.226.0500. We can answer all of your legal questions.
Accidents & Injury Information From Our Library
