Imagine getting involved in a car accident, and the at-fault driver is not cooperating; it becomes a nightmare for you because your damaged car needs repairing. Someone needs to be liable for whatever repairs your vehicle needs, but since the at-fault driver refuses to contact the insurance company, who do you call? What do you do?
This situation is challenging to deal with, but you should be thankful that you are not at a total loss. The unfortunate thing is that it is very little you can do about getting the at-fault driver to cooperate, and the at-fault driver is required to cooperate in any situation because the law doesn’t mandate himto do so.
Failure to cooperate with you means their insurance company will not offer the at-fault driver coverage, and doing that doesn’t go in your favor either. Let’s face reality; you will face many unappealing options if the insurance company fails to reach the at-fault driver.
We will advise you to pass the information to the at-fault driver’s insurance company if you think they are his insurance company. If your insurance provider has failed or is unlucky in contacting the at-fault driver, they might be lucky in reaching his insurance provider directly.
It will help if you are careful while doing this because it isn’t wise to reach out to another insurance company on your own. It is one risky act you do not want to engage yourself in, so the best thing for you to do is hand it over to your insurance provider to contact the at-fault driver’s insurance company for you. Finding yourself in spots like this is why we mentioned earlier that you would find yourself in unappealing situations if the at-fault driver does not cooperate.
At-Fault Driver Not Cooperating
Get A Declarations Page
If you have no idea who the at-fault driver’s insurance provider is, and you have no way of contacting them, getting a declarations page is the next step for you to take. Getting the declarations page aims to see the full extent of your coverage with your insurer.
In most cases, you will realize that your insurance coverage will be enough to fix up any damage done to your car and cover your medical bills if you sustain injuries in the car accident.
Get A Police Report
It would be best for you or the other driver to file a police report if the cars involved in a car accident were totaled. Getting a copy for yourself is also a wise step to take, but opting to get a police report might luckily show you the at-fault driver’s insurance company name, assuming you needed to be sure. Every report doesn’t have to contain contact information, so finding the insurance company’s name after an accident is another right thing that you must do.
Reach Out To An Attorney
If every other step doesn’t go as planned, you will need to contact a car accident attorney. You should also contact an attorney to fight for your case if you found it impossible to reach out to the at-fault driver’s insurance company.
Can I Talk To The Insurance Company Of The At-Fault Driver After An Accident?
The straightforward and simple answer to this question is No. You should not consider doing it because the only insurance company you should reach out to is yours after an accident. It would help if you never had a conversation with the at-fault driver’s insurance company because it is expected of the at-fault driver to reach out to their insurance company after being found liable for an accident. After this, it falls to your insurance company to contact the insurance company of the at-fault driver.
We do not think it is a wise choice for you to speak with the at-fault driver’s insurance company because they will ask for a recorded conversation. It will help if you never had a recorded conversation with any insurance company without a policyholder.
Another insurance company’s goal is to have a recorded conversation with you, and the reason for this is to get you to admit to being at fault for the accident so you do not have to pursue a claim against them. The best step you can take is to avoid reaching out to them at all costs because they are not your friend. The at-fault driver insurance company’s goal is to save money, and the best way to do that is to make your claim look invalid.
If the at-fault driver’s insurance company is trying to contact you, you should freak out about it. Firstly, never agree to have a recorded phone conversation with another insurance company, and never agree to have your statements written. If you stick to avoiding a recorded conversation with an insurance company, they will likely hang up the call on you.
The law doesn’t mandate anyone to have a recorded conversation with an insurance company, so all you have to do is decline their request politely. If they fail to hang up after refusing to have a recorded conversation with them, the barest minimum regarding information is what you will provide them.
The barest minimum hint means they can have necessary information like your address, contact information, and name. You are also free to give them your insurance provider’s name, alongside a number they can reach your insurance provider.
It will be best if you do not answer any questions regarding the accident because that is what the other driver’s insurance company will want to do. The insurance company’s goal is to look for a way to make you admit you are at fault for the accident, so you should tell whoever calls you that you do not wish to answer questions concerning the accident.
They can go ahead and reach out to your insurance company if they are bent on getting answers about the car accident. Lastly, if your coverage isn’t enough to cover your damages and medical bills, the next option you have is filing a lawsuit. If you find it unfair that your claim got denied by the at-fault driver’s insurance company, suing the insurance company becomes an option for you.
As we would always advise, please speak with an attorney before making a significant decision regarding car accident cases. Gather every file that will support your claim, and when presenting your case in court, ensure you have a lawyer present to represent you.
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