How Do Insurance Companies Investigate Car Accidents?

Once you file an insurance claim, the insurance company has time to investigate the case. The initial time frame for that investigation is 15 days from when they acknowledge the claim, though they can extend this time longer. During this time, the insurance company is investigating the car accident to determine if they have to pay and how much they are required to pay. 

If you are experiencing a delay or being asked questions you are not sure you should answer, we encourage you to contact an Atlanta car accident lawyer at John Foy & Associates. Set up a free consultation to discuss your case with us.

What Will the Insurance Company Do to Investigate the Claim?

Each insurance company is a bit different. They ultimately have the right to request information to verify the accuracy of the claim, and in nearly all situations, they will do this for any significant claim. Here are some of the steps the insurance company may take.

Interview You

The insurance company has the right to ask you questions about the accident. We recommend answering them with and through the help of our attorney. That will help minimize the risk of making a statement that you should not or one that could be misconstrued in any way.

Interview Passengers

If there was a passenger in the vehicle with you, the insurance company may also want to ask them questions about what occurred, including verifying any information they or you told the police.

Interview Witnesses

The insurance company will talk to any witnesses they feel may have information they deem valuable after a car accident. This may include getting clarification or verification of any information they provided to the police on the police report.

Inspect the Vehicle

Insurance companies want to see the details of the case and to do that, they will need to gather as much information about what occurred from the evidence available. That includes inspecting the vehicles involved. They may need to verify the damage present, the previous condition, or other factors related to the situation.

What Information Will the Insurance Company Ask You for in an Accident Investigation?

Typically, insurance companies will ask for a great deal of information in cases like this. It can seem like they want odd information that has nothing to do with the case, but there is often a reason. Some of the types of evidence they may try to gather include the following:

• A recorded statement from you about what occurred
• Your cellphone records
• Data from your vehicle’s GPS or other navigational tools
• Video and photos from you or others
• Background checks
• Medical records from prior to the accident
• Social media information about you

There are some situations where the information requested above may be vitally important. For example, if you are stating the other driver was fully to blame for the accident, and evidence shows you were on the phone while you were driving or that you were speeding, that may impact your ability to obtain compensation for the losses.

Social media is also an important consideration here. There are many times when what you do, share, and state on social media can work against you. For example, if you claim you cannot walk after your accident, but there are pictures of you on social media shopping at a retailer, that is going to impact your case.

Do You Have to Share Your Information with the Insurance Company?

As they continue to investigate, there may become some information that you just do not want to share. You may not feel comfortable doing so for any number of reasons.

When you receive a request for any type of past information, like cellphone records, accidents from the past, your medical records, or other sensitive data, tell the requesting party that you will confirm that you should provide that information through your attorney. They can pressure you into providing this data, especially if the court sees that information as valuable in determining fault in your case.

However, we encourage you to contact us instead of just providing any information. Our attorneys can intercede for you, even talking to the insurance company on your behalf and answering their questions as much as we can for you. While they have the right to ask those questions, we can help you know when you legally need to answer them and when you do not.

Why Are They Pursuing so Much Information After a Car Accident?

To you, a car accident may be a simple-to-solve problem since you know you did not cause it. Yet, for insurance companies, who are typically for-profit organizations, any amount of compensation paid out taps into those profits. They will do whatever they can to reduce the amount they pay you.

There are some situations where they are more likely to request more time and to investigate a bit more thoroughly. For example, they may be leery of claims in situations like the following:

• The large medical bill does not seem to align with the type of accident that occurred.
• Your social media accounts show that you are still active and engaged with life and do not seem to be limited.
• You have previous medical conditions that could be the actual cause of your current illness.
• You are struggling financially, perhaps recently filed for financial support, loans, or even bankruptcy.
• Some of the information provided does not align – something is inaccurate.

Let Our Legal Team Guide You Through This Car Accident Investigation

Insurance companies can be brutal in the information they request and the expectations they have in investigating it. Now that you have an understanding of how insurance companies investigate car accidents, let us offer some guidance and help.

Set up a free consultation with John Foy & Associates. Let our legal team answer all of your questions (and often those of the insurance company as well) to prove that you deserve compensation. We offer free, no-obligation consultations where you can learn what your case may be worth. Contact us now.