Updated October 16, 2026.
After a collision, several people may contact you about different issues. A clear communication log helps identify who requested what and what remains unanswered. It is more useful than assuming every call is a trap or every caller handles the entire claim.
Identify the caller and purpose
Record the name, organization, claim number and reason for contact. Confirm unfamiliar contact details through an appropriate official channel before sending sensitive records. A repair scheduler, adjuster and medical provider may need different information.
Distinguish your own insurer from another party’s carrier. Policy cooperation duties should not be replaced with blanket advice to refuse every request.
Record dates and documents
Keep letters, attachments and confirmations in full. Note any response date and what you sent. A short follow-up note can identify an unanswered question without claiming that silence proves agreement.
If you summarize a phone conversation, date the note and distinguish a summary from an exact quotation. Do not secretly record a conversation based on an assumption that all recording is permitted.
Answer accurately and identify uncertainty
Describe what you know. Do not guess a speed, diagnosis or future work restriction. If a later record changes your understanding, explain the correction and its source.
A statement that you felt okay at one moment does not replace a medical assessment. Seek appropriate care and report developments honestly rather than shaping symptoms around a legal strategy.
Preserve before changing or deleting
Keep relevant messages and social-media material. Privacy settings do not guarantee that records cannot be requested. Do not delete posts or conversation history to conceal information.
For a recording, authorization or broad records request, ask about the scope and purpose before responding. Keep the actual document for review.
Flag offers and releases separately
Do not file a release among routine scheduling messages. Identify the claims covered, unresolved losses and any reimbursement issue. An early offer requires assessment; it is not automatically unfair.
The CDI auto guide explains basic insurance distinctions. Contact Fairmont Law Firm for a free case review at (800) 324-7666; intake assistance is available 24/7 in English and Spanish. A consultation or ongoing correspondence does not automatically extend deadlines.
General information, not legal advice.