Should You Talk to Insurance After a Thousand Oaks Car Accident?
After a car accident in Thousand Oaks, one of the first calls you receive will likely be from an insurance company. It might be your own insurer or the other driver's insurer. Knowing how to handle these calls can make a significant difference in your recovery.
Your Own Insurance Company
You generally have a contractual duty to cooperate with your own insurance company and report accidents promptly. You should notify your insurer about the accident, but you should be careful about the details you provide. Provide the basic facts: when and where the accident occurred, that you were involved, and that you are seeking medical treatment. You do not need to give a recorded statement to your own insurer without first consulting a lawyer.
The Other Driver's Insurance Company
You have no legal obligation to give a recorded statement to the other driver's insurance company. This is a critical point that many Thousand Oaks accident victims do not know. The other driver's adjuster may call you within hours of the accident, sound friendly and sympathetic, and ask you to describe what happened in a recorded conversation. You should decline.
Insurance adjusters are trained to ask questions in ways that elicit statements they can use to limit your claim. Even innocent, well-intentioned comments can be used against you. Saying you are feeling okay, that you did not see the other car coming, or minimizing the accident in any way can damage your case significantly.
What to Say When an Adjuster Calls
Keep it short. Confirm your name and that you were involved in the accident. Tell the adjuster that you have retained or are consulting with a personal injury attorney and that all communications should go through your lawyer. Then end the call. You do not need to be rude, but you do not need to say anything else.
If you have not yet hired a lawyer, say that you are still evaluating your legal options and are not prepared to give a statement at this time. Then consult a Thousand Oaks car accident attorney as soon as possible.
Why Adjusters Call So Quickly
Insurance companies want to reach you before you retain an attorney and before the full extent of your injuries becomes clear. After a crash on Moorpark Road or the US-101/Lynn Road interchange, you may still be in shock, in pain, and uncertain about the severity of your injuries. Adjusters take advantage of that uncertainty. A quick, low settlement offer made in those early days is almost always inadequate for anything beyond the most minor accident.
After Treatment at Los Robles Regional Medical Center
If you were transported to Los Robles Regional Medical Center after your Thousand Oaks accident, you may be contacted by insurance adjusters while you are still in the hospital or shortly after discharge. Do not give statements from a hospital bed. You are not in a position to accurately describe your condition, prognosis, or long-term needs at that stage.
Social Media During Your Claim
Insurance companies monitor social media. A photo from a day out at The Oaks Mall or Civic Arts Plaza that contradicts your claimed injuries can be used to undermine your case. Limit or suspend your social media activity while your claim is pending, and avoid posting anything about your accident, injuries, or activities.
Let Your Lawyer Handle the Adjusters
Once you retain a personal injury attorney, all insurance communications go through them. Your lawyer will handle negotiations, respond to adjuster inquiries, and protect you from making statements that could hurt your claim. This alone is often worth the cost of representation.
L&F Brown represents Thousand Oaks car accident victims throughout Ventura County. Contact us for a free consultation and let us handle the insurance companies while you focus on recovery. Visit our Thousand Oaks personal injury page to learn more.
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