Being injured in a car accident that was not your fault can be very frustrating. The other driver's insurance company is liable to pay your medical bills, car repair bills, and lost wages due to missing work due to recovering from injuries, but it is almost never as simple as filing a claim and receiving a check in the amount you deserve. If you're injured in a car accident and you are not found at fault, the best thing you can do is hire an experienced car accident lawyer immediately. There are many reasons that you should not communicate directly with the other driver's insurance company.

Your Words Can Be Used Against You

After the car accident, there is a good chance that the other driver's insurance company will try to get in touch with you to ask for a recorded or written statement. It is never in your best interest to comply with this request. Insurance companies are for-profit businesses, and they do not like to pay out large settlements. Thus, if you willingly give a statement without having a car accident lawyer, it is possible that your words could be twisted and used against you in an attempt to say that you had some blame in the accident. This is a tactic to try to justify a lower settlement. Thus, if the insurance company contacts you, ask them to get in touch with your lawyer — he or she can provide any information they may need.

Low Settlement Offer

Most people have little to no experience dealing with a car accident injury claim, and insurance companies can use this to their advantage. There is a good chance that you have no idea what your claim is actually worth, so you won't know if you're being offered a fair settlement or not. Many insurance companies offer low settlements to people who are not represented by a lawyer, and people often accept these settlements because they are not aware that the amount is unfair. 

Difficult to Negotiate

Dealing with an insurance company can be intimidating for someone with no experience. If you don't like the settlement offered, you may attempt to negotiate, but you probably won't get far on your own. This is one of the biggest reasons to hire a car accident lawyer. Your lawyer will collect evidence, build up your case, and use expert negotiating skills on your behalf to ensure that you get a settlement that reflects your expenses and the seriousness of your injuries. 

Contact a firm like Siben & Siben LLP to learn more.