Suing for Damages in a Personal Injury Case

Getting into a motorcycle accident is a serious event, and you will be very fortunate if you get away without major injury. One of your first instincts will be to call the insurer to find out how your damages will be covered. Instead, take a day or so to process the accident so you do not make some major mistakes when speaking to an insurance adjuster. Saying and doing the wrong things can cost you some or even all of a settlement for your damages. The following are some things you should avoid when you are speaking to an insurer about your motorcycle accident damages:

Allow the Adjuster to Record You

When you call the insurance agency, they may ask to record your conversation. It is not legally required by the insurance agency when submitting a claim. If they ask, you can politely decline to be recorded. Should your claim go to court, some things you say can come back to bite you, especially if you made statements in the heat of the moment.

Sign Too Quickly

Another mistake you need to avoid is signing anything right away without thoroughly reading or allowing your motorcycle accident attorney to review it. You could be signing a release or waiver that will relinquish your rights to something. For example, if you sign a waiver almost immediately after your accident, you could miss out on being paid for an injury that you have not discovered yet. Some injuries may not materialize until a day or so after an accident, so you need to make sure you have gone through a thorough medical exam and spoken to your attorney before you sign anything.

Accept a Large Sum Before Careful Evaluation

A huge offer of a lump sum of money as compensation for your damages can be very tempting. You need to remember, however, that a settlement offer is just that, an offer. You can counter the offer if you do not feel like it is enough to cover your damages. You need to have your attorney look at the settlement offer so that he or she can evaluate whether or not it is fair based on your losses.

Having an attorney guide you through the insurance claims process will greatly benefit you in the long run. The insurance agency is going to try to get you to take as little as possible, so be sure to work with your attorney to ensure you are fairly compensated.