Oklahoma injury victims in motor vehicle accidents can easily wonder whether they should engage with a negligent party’s insurance company in the wake of a crash.
It’s a reasonable inquiry, of course, and a point centrally relevant to an unforeseen and jarring experience. Accident victims often feel bewildered and even overwhelmed by a crash outcome. It yields an intense and often materially adverse result. Injuries can be severe and life-upending for an individual harmed by a third party’s reckless behind-the-wheel behavior.
Tragically too, a victim’s loved ones often emerge as surviving family members forced to deal with somber post-crash realities tied to a wrongful death incident.
So, the question looms large for a crash victim or surviving loved one: Should I interact with an insurer and follow its lead focused on accident investigation, accountability and a final settlement?
In answering that question, it can certainly be conceded that proactively communicating with an insurance company following a vehicle crash will promote best interests.
Just not yours.
The obvious business model for any insurance company
Insurance companies are in business for a patently obvious reason – and it is not to routinely pay out maximum amounts to parties having personal injury legal claims.
Rather, it is to maximize profitability for those most important to the business – company principals and shareholders. The math concerning an insurer’s financial health is crystal clear: Company coffers are enriched by a policy of resistance, stalling and other strategies geared toward claim nonpayment and low-ball settlements. Maximum claim payments are matters for concern in insurance board meetings, not cause for celebration.
Which begs the question: Who should an injured party turn to?
The decision not to talk with an insurer logically raises a question of who might be the optimal party to contact following a vehicle accident and resulting injuries.
An authoritative Oklahoma legal source on motor vehicle injuries and post-crash imperatives directly addresses that concern. It notes the “very confusing practices” that insurers often employ in accident scenarios and additionally stresses that, “Having experienced legal counsel can prevent you from being taken advantage of by an insurance company.” A proven and empathetic legal team with demonstrated acumen in personal injury cases can take the lead in dealing with insurers, focusing centrally on matters like the following:
- Fully and accurately fleshing out all key facts concerning the type and severity of injuries suffered
- Thorough accident investigation revealing all negligent parties involved and the accountability of each in causing injuries
- Securing help as needed from professionals ranging from medical experts to parties who can calculate damages and payments often applicable to future needs
- Taking the lead in all negotiations and forging an ultimate settlement that truly maximizes benefits for an injured client
An insurance company most decidedly does not have an accident victim’s best interests in mind.
Conversely, an experienced and committed personal injury team does and will strive diligently to secure an optimal case outcome.