Insurance companies are one of the most important parts of recovery when we’ve been through something traumatic. We want to recover and heal, but that can be expensive, and it’s important for insurance to step in and help cover at least some of that cost.
If you’ve never dealt with insurance before and are unsure how they’ll look at your case, these are the top ways these companies determine fault.
Reviewing Police Report
Police reports are a vital tool to insurance companies, and if you don’t have one for your injury, it can hurt your case in some ways. Insurance companies are more likely to trust police reports than those of bystanders since these are employees of the city, and their paperwork is easily traceable.
If the police report agrees with what you said happened, it can help your case immensely. Unfortunately, this can lead to biases, as the police aren’t always correct and can allow outside opinions to influence what they think happened.
Interviewing Involved People
The people involved in an injury case are often the best people to talk to. This means any witnesses, any people injured, and those that are being accused of committing the injury or allowing it to happen.
Talking to people will allow the insurance company to find out if the stories line up and, therefore, if they think people are lying or not.
Although most people won’t lie when faced with insurance companies and possible lawsuits, the chance that someone will cost the companies millions of dollars. These interviews are usually done over the phone.
Looking at Submitted Medical Information
When you’re injured, your insurance company will request that you share your medical information with them, including any paperwork from doctors, chiropractors, nurses, and anyone else you come into contact with.
This will have to be in-depth paperwork that agrees with the story you’re telling and makes it clear that your injury was severe enough to warrant the care you need.
Checking Pictures and Videos
When you’re injured, it’s important to take pictures or have someone else take pictures of your injuries and the scene where they happened to ensure that you have proof of what occurred.
Insurance companies will want to go over this information, and having photos they can look at will help them decide if what happened is really what you’re describing. They’ll also be able to better understand your injuries and how much they would affect your life.
Working From Experience
Many insurance companies have to draw from the information they’ve gathered from working on so many different cases. This means looking at the likelihood of this accident happening, how many similar cases they’ve handled, and how much money the victim will likely be entitled to.
Working from their experience, they’ll then conclude a basis of what evidence they’d need to show whether this case happened as explained or not. They can be wrong, of course, so it’s important to talk to a car accident lawyer who knows what they’re doing the moment you can.
Every Case Is Completely Different
Whether you’re seeking help with a case or you’re simply curious, there’s a lot to learn about who’s at fault in a personal injury case. These are the main things insurance companies consider and what can affect your case.
