What If the at Fault Driver does Not Contact the Insurance Company? If the at-fault driver does not contact the insurance company, there are two steps you can take to pursue compensation for pain, suffering, and other damages you suffered after a car accident:
- Contact your insurance company
- Hire a car accident lawyer
In an ideal world, once you exchange contact information with the other driver, you'd reach out to them later, and they'd respond. However, you may come across uncooperative drivers who will not answer your calls or notify their own insurance company.
Contacting Your Insurance Company
As a rule of thumb, you should always contact your insurer after an accident, regardless of who was at fault. Give the other driver's contact information to your insurer so they can try to reach them. If the driver does not respond to your insurer, the company will take the case to their insurance company. Contacting your insurance company is vital even if your injuries and damages are mild. Ask your insurer for the declarations page to gauge if your insurance coverage can pay for your damages and treatment for injuries. If the cover is enough for these expenses, you may decide not to contact the uncooperative at-fault driver.
What If I don't Have Contact Information for the At-Fault Driver?
An uncooperative driver may give you their contact information, promise to notify their insurance company, and the communication will end there. When this happens, obtain the police accident report and look for the contact information in the report. Most times, the police note down the liable party and their insurer's information when preparing the accident report.
Should I Contact the At-Fault Driver's Insurance Company?
Do not contact the other party's insurance company on your own. You have to be careful not to self-incriminate, accept partial fault, or accept an inappropriate settlement. It's best to leave it to the insurance companies to communicate. Your insurance company can help you contact the other party's insurance company and the at-fault driver. However, the other party and their insurer might still be uncooperative. At this point, you may need to contact a
car accident lawyer to help you.
What If the At-Fault Driver's Insurance Contacts Me?
When you receive a call or an email from the at-fault driver's insurance company, the action you take is vital, as it can potentially ruin your claim. It is courteous to respond to a call or email, but let them know you don't wish to discuss the accident details. Ask the at-fault driver's insurance company to speak directly to your insurance company or lawyer. Proceed with caution. The insurance company can take to following actions to invalidate your claim:
- Record your call and manipulate it to suit their narrative
- Ask you leading questions that may lead you to self-incriminate
- Extort accident information and take your words out of context to disregard your liability claims
What If the At-Fault Driver's Insurance Company Fails to Pay?
A car accident is physically and mentally draining, It can be made even more difficult if you come across unresponsive insurance companies. If this happens, you might determine it is necessary to contact a car accident lawyer to research your options moving forward.
Hiring a Car Accident Lawyer
An at-fault driver may ignore your calls, and in Florida, you only have up to four years after the accident to file a lawsuit against the liable party. Once this period elapses, you lose your chance to pursue compensation. Due to the time sensitive nature of your case and the at-fault driver or insurance company being uncooperative, you might decide to hire a
personal injury attorney.
How Can an Attorney Help When the At-Fault Driver Isn't Cooperating?
A car accident lawyer may be able to help you pursue compensation for your damages when the at-fault driver or their insurance company won't cooperate by:
- Offering legal advice
- Representing you in court
- Recovering your losses through your insurance company
- Filing a lawsuit against the responsible party
- Reconstructing the accident scene to gather evidence needed for your case
Contact a Car Accident Lawyer
A lawyer may be able to simplify the legal processes for you to seek compensation for an accident that was not your fault. Reach out to the car accident lawyers from the
Dolman Law Group. Get in touch with us today for your free case review.