September 25, 2020

Should I trust the insurance company after a car accident?

Texas follows a modified version of the comparative negligence rule. If you share a large enough portion of the responsibility for causing a car accident, you may not receive the full compensation you deserve. Insurance adjusters typically look for shared fault to reduce the amount of payment for damages.

Although you may not trust an insurance company to provide fair coverage for your losses, most carriers require you to report a collision as soon as possible regardless of which party is at fault. As noted by Forbes magazine, an accident may not cause your premium rates to increase if you prove you did not contribute to the crash.

What evidence may prove I did not cause an accident?

When contacting an insurance company, you may provide a police report or other documentation to help prove that you did not cause the accident. According to the Texas Department of Transportation, most collisions occur from speeding, running red lights and following another car too closely. An insurance company may, for example, attempt to find you partially at fault for hitting another vehicle because you drove too closely behind. Footage from a dashboard camera, however, may help prove you did not cause the crash.

What if I am in a hit-and-run or pothole crash?

When poor road maintenance or a hit-and-run driver causes a car crash, you may require additional evidence to prove why you cannot file a claim with another driver's insurance carrier. Images or video footage of the accident scene may help to show that you did not contribute to the crash. A statement provided by a witness may also help you file a claim for damages.