Auto Accident - Beat the Insurance Adjustor

Don’t let the insurance company keep you from getting the money you deserve! Contact the New York state lawyers at the William Mattar Law Firm.

Some insurance adjustors may take advantage of the confusion that a New York state auto accident causes in people's lives and use this confusion to the insurance company’s advantage. The adjustor’s job is to make the insurance company more money by paying the least amount to people injured in those accidents. They sometimes do this by taking advantage of instances where an injured person does not have proof of damages or injuries. We know that this may not be fair, so we’ve put together some ways that people injured in a New York state auto accident (injury car accident) can show proof of their injuries and demonstrate to the insurance adjustor the correct damages.

At the Scene of the Collision:

Make observations. (Also see our Auto Accident Procedures page)
Identify the witnesses to the car crash so there will be someone to support your case if it goes to court. Write down their names and addresses and interview them. Ask them what they saw and make a note of phrases they used like "slammed into," "plowed," "speeding," or "he ran the red light."

Be on guard.
Beware of insurance representatives (other than your own) at the scene of a New York state auto accident. Some insurance companies may send adjustors to motor vehicle accident scenes in order to catch people off guard with incriminating questions or to have them sign away any rights they may have to future compensation. We believe that this is more likely to occur if the accident is with a truck or a bus, but you still also need to be careful if your accident is with another car or motorcycle.

Immediately After the Collision:

See a doctor.
If you are injured, go to the hospital or schedule an appointment with your own doctor as soon as possible. Don’t let the insurance adjustor choose a doctor for you. You have the right to a doctor of your choice. New York state No-Fault Insurance is designed to pay medical bills, lost wages, and other expenses related to the car accident. See information on No-Fault.

Photograph your car.
Take pictures of your car as soon as possible after the accident. When the adjustor asks for proof of damage, it is difficult to dispute a picture taken of your car at the collision scene or shortly thereafter. Pictures of the damage will help tell your story. If possible, take pictures of the other cars involved as well. These pictures will help supply information about the severity of the impact associated with your collision. Many times after a severe car crash there is damage inside the vehicle as well as the outside, so take photographs of both.

Photograph your injuries.
Take pictures of your injuries before they heal. In many cases, the seat belt strap can bruise you across the shoulders and chest, but after several weeks those bruises heal. Months later, when the insurance adjustor is arguing that your car accident was not very significant, pictures of your bruises and other injuries may help to solidify your personal injury claim.

We know that if you are seriously injured in a car crash that you may not be able to talk to witnesses of the car accident and likely may not be able to take photos. That is why the William Mattar Law Firm has attorneys, staff, and investigators who are available to start working on your case right now. You can call us 24 hours. Let us help you.

As Time Passes:

Write down your observations.
Keep notes about your injuries. In 6 or 7 months, you might forget how it hurt just to get dressed. The adjustor for the insurance company may try to make it seem like any description you give is an exaggeration. Write down your pain medications. These kinds of written documents can be very valuable when presenting your personal injury claim to the insurance adjustor or to a judge and jury in court.

Keep records of expenses.
The adjustor will ask for proof of anything you claim as an expense. Be sure you keep receipts for prescriptions, household services like lawn mowing and having someone to cook or clean for you, car rentals, and so forth. Keep each of those receipts so you can document every expense. Some of these expenses may need to be submitted timely to the No-Fault or other insurance company, but you should still maintain copies of all receipts.

Most Importantly:

Consult an experienced New York auto accident lawyer.
Without legal help from a lawyer like those from the William Mattar Law Firm, you may have no idea of the real value of your claim. Moreover, the Insurance Research Council found that, on average, injured people who use a lawyer receive up to three and a half times more money than those who do not! *

The Bottom Line
In most cases, the insurance adjustor is not on your side. A goal for the adjuster is to save the insurance company money by giving you as little as possible after your auto accident. Whether you choose the William Mattar Law Firm to represent you or not, you need a lawyer experienced with car accidents on your side. Don’t go it alone. Hurt in a Car, call William Mattar.

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If you’ve been injured in New York state, contact the William Mattar Law Firm, with lawyers who focus on car injury accidents (auto injury). This includes car collisions that involve crashes or accidents with another car, bus, truck, bicycle, pedestrian, or motorcycle. The attorneys at the William Mattar Law Firm have advocated for hurt and injured clients across New York state. Our attorneys are ready to help those in a car crash or injury accident. We service the Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, Binghamton, Corning, Elmira, Lockport, Niagara Falls, Plattsburgh, Schenectady, Troy, Utica, Watertown, and surrounding areas. Our lawyers who focus on car accident injury cases are available now. Fill out a Free Online Contact Form or better yet, call us at 444-4444 or 1-800-317-2424 for a free accident consultation today! Call us anytime, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We are on call right now. We have multiple locations in New York state to better serve you. Do not worry where you are located. After a serious accident or collision, we may be able to come to your home or hospital. Call us right now, we are ready to help. After an accident, common questions for our lawyers (attorneys) concern injuries, car accident insurance coverage, No-Fault, accident reports, MV-104 Forms, collision coverage, disability, lost wages, and medical bills.

* Insurance Research Council 2004 study (www.ircweb.org)

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