After a motorcycle accident, you would expect that the insurance company would just fulfill their obligations without any fuss. Unfortunately, in far too many cases, insurance companies are more interested in their bottom line than their responsibilities, and it’s not uncommon for them to do everything they legally can to minimize their payout to you. A motorcycle accident attorney in Grand Rapids, MI can help you deal with an insurance company.
1. Be Careful How You Report the Accident
Michigan is a “no fault” state, meaning that in accidents involving motor vehicles, the individual drivers’ insurance companies cover their own claims regardless of who was at fault. But under the law, motorcycles are not considered motor vehicles. Thus, if a motorcycle is hit by a car, the car owner’s insurance will pay. If they don’t have insurance, you would then turn to your own insurance company.
Regardless of which insurance company you are talking to, you must be very careful in talking about the accident. Assume that anything you say can and will be used against you by the insurance company, so stick to facts, do not guess at what happened or at the perspective of the other driver, and if that’s not enough for the insurance company, tell them to contact your lawyer with any further questions.
2. Get a Lawyer
Insurance companies know they have the upper hand against private citizens, but when an accident victim gets a lawyer, things get more serious. At that point, the insurance company knows that you won’t be so easy to run over. They know you have someone to advise you on whether a settlement is fair and someone to fight in your corner (and even take them to court if they refuse to pay a reasonable settlement). Often, simply having a lawyer on your side is enough to make the insurance company come to the bargaining table in better faith.
3. Don’t Sign Anything Without Your Attorney
It is common for insurance companies to offer an initial lowball settlement. They hope that you are too desperate for money or distracted by all the other things going on in life to really push the issue and will simply sign the paper and be done with it. Or, they hope that you don’t know what you’re really owed. Your lawyer is there to protect you from this tactic, so never sign anything without letting your lawyer look through it carefully, first. If you’re having trouble paying bills and making ends meet, talk to your lawyer about various strategies that could help you until you get a settlement.
Insurance companies are powerful corporations, and the deck is stacked against you if you go up against them alone. Level the playing field by contacting Holmes & Wiseley P.C. in Grand Rapids now. We serve clients throughout western and upper Michigan and even nationwide, and we’re ready to help you, too.
