Pines Salomon Personal Injury Lawyers | April 10, 2025 | Car Accidents
Whether or not to hire a lawyer to represent you after any car accident depends on the damages you are seeking and your comfort level with the applicable laws and negotiating on your own behalf. When liability is clear and injuries are minor, you might be satisfied with the insurance company’s offer and be willing to close the claim without legal advice.
Understand, however, that insurance companies are not looking out for your best interests. They have a legal obligation to treat you fairly, but they don’t want to pay you even one cent more than is necessary. If you aren’t familiar with the claim settlement process and insurance company tactics, you may end up with far less compensation than you’re entitled to and feel bullied into taking a smaller claim than you deserve.
How an Insurance Company Treats You When a Claim Is Made
When you notify an insurance company that you want them to pay a claim, you immediately become an adversary – even if it’s your insurer. One of the first things an insurer will want to do is to establish that their driver is not at fault or not exclusively at fault. You need to have your story straight when you talk to an insurance company, and beware of attempts to get you to admit some responsibility for causing an accident.
The insurance representative will ask you about any injuries. You want to be careful here and not limit yourself in case the full extent of your injuries is not yet known. Insurance companies push to label injuries as minor and discount how people are affected.
What You Need to Know When You Get in a Minor Car Accident
Let’s say you were just rear-ended in heavy traffic. You and the other driver pull over. Your neck is a bit sore, and you have a mild headache. The damage to the vehicles looks minimal. Can you exchange insurance information and be on your way?
Drivers are only allowed to leave the scene of an accident if there are no injuries. Even if you think you’re okay, it’s best to err on the side of getting medical attention because you may not realize you’ve been injured right away. You also don’t want to leave without taking pictures of the accident scene and vehicle damage.
Here is a list of things to do after a minor car accident:
- Call the police: The California Vehicle Code requires accidents to be reported to the police within 24 hours if there are injuries. Police reports can provide evidence that is helpful for establishing liability.
- Report SR-1: An SR-1 must be filed with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) within 10 days of the accident if there were any injuries or damage to the vehicles exceeding $1,000.
- Go to the doctor: Get an evaluation from a healthcare provider soon after the accident. The doctor visit is important to preserve the ability to make an injury claim relating to the accident should injuries become apparent at a later time.
- Do not speak to an insurance company: You will likely hear from the other driver’s insurance company relatively quickly. You don’t want to speak with an insurance representative unless you are prepared because they are on a mission to discredit you.
You should write out your version of how the accident happened and refer to it so your facts are always consistent. You should have a copy of the report from the doctor you saw about your injuries. You should keep a history of how you have been affected by the injuries.
When You Should Consider Hiring an Attorney After a Minor Car Accident
An experienced San Diego car accident attorney knows insurance company tactics for settling minor car accident claims. An attorney will make sure insurance companies pay you the compensation you are entitled to without regard to the severity of the accident. Contact an attorney if you’ve been in an accident today.
Contact the Car Accident Lawyers of Pines Salomon Injury Lawyers in San Diego, CA, for Help Today
For more information, contact an experienced car accident lawyer at Pines Salomon Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free initial consultation today.
We proudly serve San Diego County and its surrounding areas:
Pines Salomon Injury Lawyers – San Diego Office
835 5th Avenue #302, San Diego, CA 92101
(858) 551-2090
Available 24/7
Pines Salomon Injury Lawyers – La Jolla Office
4660 La Jolla Village Dr. San Diego, CA 92122
(858) 585-9031
Available 24/7
