After the victim of an accident has filed a personal injury claim with the responsible party’s insurance company, then that same claimant should get a call from the insurance adjuster. Smart claimants prepare for that call.
The earliest preparations
Once the victim has managed to get to a place where he or she can think, without experiencing constant interruptions, that same victim should grab a pencil and paper. This is the time when it pays to jot down every bit of recollected detail, regarding the recently experienced accident.
Victims that have access to an phone should take pictures at the scene of the collision. Those pictures should reveal any signs or traffic lights at the spot where the vehicles collided. In addition, it helps to have pictures of the damage created by the defendant’s actions.
If possible, the victim of a given accident should look for potential witnesses. Those could be eyewitnesses, or those that saw what took place in the moments before the collision. Your personal injury lawyer in Calgary will be sure to get the contact information for any witnesses.
Study the accident scene; return to it, if necessary. Find out if any business or parking lot in the area has a video camera. Was it taking footage of the accident scene at the time of the collision?
Further preparations
A claimant that expects to get a call from an adjuster ought to have copies of any reports from the claimant’s treating physician. The doctor’s observations should support any claims made by the injured victim.
Claimants that are suffering unceasing or recurring pain should keep a diary or journal. That can become a source of information, regarding how frequently the painful sensations developed, and how long each of them lasted. The issue of pain ought to get raised during the negotiations.
The claimant must write a formal demand letter, one that will be sent to the defendant. The demand letter should state the amount of money sought by the claimant. The amount in the demand letter should be larger than the amount anticipated.
While writing the demand letter, the claimant should think about the minimum acceptable size for the desired compensation package. That amount is a figure that should stay in the claimant’s mind. It helps the claimant to judge the acceptability of any amount of money proposed by the adjuster.
If the adjuster’s offer were to fall far below the claimant’s minimum, it should be viewed as “low ball” offer. Hence, the plaintiff should seek an explanation for that low amount.
If the adjuster’s offer comes close to the envisioned minimum, then the claimant must revise his or her thinking, and come up with a new minimum for the desired compensation package.