As experienced Buffalo personal injury lawyers, we discourage our clients from speaking with any agents of the insurance company that provides coverage for the individual who caused the personal injury.
Instead, all contact with the defendant’s insurance provider should be handled through the law firm of the personal injury lawyer hired by the injured person.
Although an insurance adjuster for the defendant may be asking innocent appearing questions about the accident and your injuries, the adjuster also may be looking for information or statements from you that can be used to minimize the amount of money they eventually pay for your injuries.
As a result, any statement you make that could be interpreted in a way that either reduces their insured’s responsibility for the accident or indicates that your injuries were minor may eventually come back to haunt you.
If you have hired a personal injury lawyer and receive a call from the defendant’s insurer, it is strongly recommended that you politely refuse to speak with them and refer them to your personal injury attorney’s office.
Most personal injury lawyer’s will contact the other party’s insurance company shortly after being hired and tell them not to have any further direct contact with you.
The insurance company is legally required to cease direct contact with you after being informed you have an attorney.
Most insurance companies will comply with this law, but there are occasions where – due to error or a particularly aggressive adjuster – they will continue to call.
If your personal injury lawyer has requested that they have no further communication with you, you should not speak with them and inform your attorney immediately.
If you have been hurt in a personal injury accident and have questions about how to proceed, please call us at 716-631-9999 for a free consultation.
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