If you are injured in a bicycle accident that a negligent driver in Virginia caused, do not be surprised if their insurance company calls you within days of the collision—maybe when you are still in the hospital. You must be extremely careful handling this call if you want to obtain the compensation you deserve for your injuries.
Why the Insurance Company Is Contacting You
The insurance adjuster has a duty to investigate a claim once they are notified of a bicycle accident by the insured. However, this is only one reason they are calling you.
While the insurance adjuster may sound friendly and concerned about your injuries, you need to remember that they are not your friend and have interests different from yours. Their primary objective may be to find out information from you, get you to agree to things that will help them deny or delay your claim, or pay you less damages than you are entitled to under Virginia law.
Tips on How to Handle the Insurance Company’s Call
You can take steps to protect your rights and strengthen your claim when speaking to the insurance company. Here are some helpful tips that can help:
- Obtain contact information. You need to get the name and contact information of the insurance adjuster, along with the claim number.
- Take notes. As you speak to the adjuster, write down notes so that you remember what was said.
- Provide basic facts. You should limit what you say to the insurance company. Just tell them the basic facts, including the date, place, and time of your bicycle accident. Do not go into details about the crash or your injuries.
- Don’t admit fault. Do not admit any fault for causing the crash. Even innocent statements, like “I’m sorry” or “I didn’t see the car coming before it hit me,” could be construed as an admission of fault.
- Don’t agree to a recorded statement. The insurance adjuster will most likely ask you to give a recorded statement, which is a question and answer session that is recorded and transcribed into a written document. Even if you are careful, they could ask you confusing questions to get answers from you that hurt your claim.
Your best strategy is to get the insurance adjuster’s contact information and inform them that you will have your attorney contact them. If you have not yet retained an experienced car accident lawyer, you should do so immediately and let them take over all communications with the insurance company.
Were you or a family member injured in a bicycle accident in Virginia Beach or Norfolk? Call our Norfolk office at 877-960-3441 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation to learn how we can help you.
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