We previously provided some helpful hints for after you have been involved in an auto accident or truck accident. In that post, we stated that you should:

“Contact an attorney immediately, especially with accidents involving injuries. The insurance companies will be contacting you for recorded statements, medical information from your doctors, etc. An experienced attorney can help you with this process while protecting your rights. Insurance companies are in business to hang on to money and will try to pay you less than you are entitled to receive, in some cases even nothing.”

If you are dealing with an insurance company on your own, you should recognize that you are not obligated to provide them with the following:

1. A recorded statement. You are not required to give a statement to the other party’s insurance company. Your own insurance policy likely requires you to cooperate with your insurance company during investigation. Your own insurance company may ask you to give a statement as a result. If so, you have the right to have an attorney represent you during the statement.

2. Medical authorization/release. The insurance company will try to get you to sign a blank release to allow them to see all of your medical records, even those unrelated to the accident.

3. Your Social Security Number. The insurance company is looking for this information to go on a fishing expedition in your background to see if there is anything they can use against you.

4. Health history/Work history. The insurance company wants this information to try and show that you were not injured in the accident and/or that your conditions pre-existed the accident.

5. Names of your ex-spouse/friends/social network sites. Again, the insurance company is trying to find background information that may be damaging to your claim.

The auto accident attorneys at Kennedy, Kennedy, Robbins & Yarbro, LC have assisted many individuals to protect their legal rights. The attorneys have settled and tried many different cases in state and federal courts. The attorneys are compensated for their time in a case through a “contingency fee” agreement. The contingency fee agreement is in writing and signed by the client and the firm. Under this arrangement, the attorneys do not collect a fee for their time unless a successful outcome is received through settlement or trial. The amount of the fee will depend on the type of case, its complexity and its anticipated value. You are responsible for the expenses associated with your case. There is no cost for an initial consultation to discuss your case.

Don’t deal with the insurance company on your own. Contact Kennedy, Kennedy, Robbins & Yarbro, LC, at (573) 686-2459. Our commitment is to earn your confidence by answering all questions and providing quality representation.