Should You Sign Paperwork From the At-Fault Driver’s Insurance Company?
If you have been involved in a motor vehicle collision in North Carolina and it was not your fault, there is a good chance the other driver’s insurance company will contact you quickly. Sometimes that means a phone call. Sometimes it means a packet of forms shows up and you are asked to sign and return everything right away.
That can feel routine, but it is important to carefully review any documentation you receive. Not all insurance paperwork is the same, and signing the wrong document too early can affect your rights.
Start by understanding that you may have two separate claims
If you own the vehicle involved in the wreck, and you were also physically injured, you are often dealing with two different claims through the insurance company:
- A property damage claim for the damage to your vehicle
- A bodily injury claim for your physical injuries
This distinction matters. The paperwork tied to one part of the case is not necessarily appropriate for the other part. Before signing anything, make sure you know exactly which claim the documents relate to.
Property damage paperwork is often handled early
In many cases, it is appropriate to deal with the property damage portion of the claim at the beginning. If the paperwork is clearly limited to repairing or resolving damage to your vehicle, signing those documents may be perfectly fine.
That is because the property damage claim and the bodily injury claim are treated separately. Resolving one does not necessarily mean you should resolve the other at the same time.
Still, the key is to review the documents carefully. Make sure the paperwork is actually limited to the vehicle damage and does not also release your injury claim.
Be much more cautious with bodily injury paperwork
When it comes to the bodily injury side of the case, the safer approach is not to sign anything right away.
There is a simple reason for that. In North Carolina, you generally have a three-year statute of limitations for a personal injury claim arising from a car accident. That means you usually do not have to rush into settling your injury case immediately after the wreck happened.
If you are still treating, still in pain, or still trying to understand the full extent of your injuries, it is often better to take the time you need rather than close the claim too early.
Why settling too soon can be a serious mistake
After an accident, some injuries seem minor at first and become much more serious later. A sore back may linger. Additional testing may be needed. An MRI may reveal a more significant injury than anyone first suspected. In some situations, surgery does not become part of the conversation until weeks or months after the accident happened.
If you sign paperwork that settles and closes your bodily injury claim for a payment, you cannot go back six or nine months later and reopen it just because your condition turned out to be worse than expected.
That is the real risk. Once the claim is resolved, it’s over, even if you later learn you needed more treatment than anyone realized at the beginning.
Get a proper medical evaluations and proper treatment before resolving an injury claim
Before working to settle a bodily injury claim, make sure you have had a proper evaluation following the wreck. If you need additional medical treatment, get it. If your symptoms persist, continue to follow up with your doctor.
The goal is to understand your condition as fully as possible before agreeing to resolve the claim. That includes making sure:
- Your injuries have been properly assessed
- You have received the treatment you need
- You have a clearer picture of whether you are healing
- You know whether any longer-term problems may still be developing
Only after that point does it make sense to seriously engage in resolving the bodily injury side of the claim.
The best way to approach insurance paperwork after a North Carolina car accident
If the at-fault driver’s insurance company sends you forms, a sensible approach is to work through them in stages:
- Read everything carefully. Do not assume all paperwork is routine.
- Separate the property damage documents from the bodily injury documents.
- Handle the property damage claim if appropriate. This is often something people can address early.
- Hold off on signing bodily injury settlement paperwork.
- Get medical care and proper follow-up.
- Wait until you understand your injuries before trying to fully resolve the injury claim.
- Contact an experienced NC injury lawyer with your questions
One of the biggest mistakes people make after a car accident is feeling pressured to move at the insurance company’s pace. The fact that paperwork arrives quickly does not mean you need to immediately sign everything and send it back ASAP.
If you have been injured in an auto accident and the insurance company is sending your paperwork to close out a bodily injury claim quickly, contact Hardison & Cochran for a free consultation to learn more about your situation and your rights.
