Maryland Car Accident Witnesses and Insurance Companies: A Race Against Time

By Jeffrey Butschky, Maryland Accident Injury Attorney

If you’ve had the misfortune of being in a car crash in Baltimore Maryland or anywhere in the Mid Atlantic region, you may have suffered physical injuries and your car may be banged up, even totalled. On top of those damages — you’re in a race against time. My last two blog entries for “Help! I’ve Been in an Accident!” dealt with what you should keep in your glove box (Dec. 18) and why you should always call the police (Dec. 22). This article offers some insight on witnesses and insurance companies.

Ask Witnesses for Their Phone Numbers on the Spot

It’s amazing how frequently people change their stories. If you’re in a car accident in Maryland and other people pull over, remain calm. NEVER GET UPSET. Approach the witnesses and say, “Listen, you saw what just happened. I really might need you. Could I please have your name and number?” Most folks will agree to that.

Human nature is an amazing thing. Most of the time, when people react to an emergency, they’ll do the right thing. They’ll run into a burning car to save a stranger. But after someone witnesses a car or truck accident, a funny thing can happen. When time passes, people start logically thinking, “Oh crap. I’m gonna end up being the key witness in the middle of a six-month jury trial.” Human nature’s better side starts to fade away and people become reluctant to “get involved” as time passes. It’s imperative, in an accident, to get the facts — whatever they are, good or bad — locked in right away before people have a chance to think too much. Get witnesses’ information, then…

Call Your Insurance Company and a Maryland Car Accident Lawyer

Maryland insurance carriers have their car accident response routine down to a science. As soon as an accident is reported, outside adjusters — many of them retired police officers or state troopers — hit the ground running to evaluate what happened. You’ve seen these folks driving around in the Geico and Progressive cars. They will bang on your door and they can be a little bit intimidating. What they’re doing is the same thing really that we’re doing as Maryland auto accident attorneys — they’re going out to get the facts quickly and to lock in the story.

Nobody wants anybody to lie, but it really is a foot race when there’s a car, truck, or motorcycle accident in Maryland. Time is not on your side. You may not know it, but the other party’s insurance company is busily working and contacting people to swing the odds in their favor. It’s very important to contact an experienced car accident lawyer who can work with your insurance company and get started right away fighting for you.