When you’re involved in a car accident, you’ll first seek care for your injuries. Then, as soon as possible, you’ll need to report the accident to your automobile insurance agent. It’s important that you realize that any time you’re talking with your agent or an adjuster, anything you say can be recorded and can limit your reimbursement.

When it comes time to make your claim, your insurance agent can guide you through the process. If your injuries and expenses are substantial, it’s probably a good idea to consult with a lawyer who can help you through the process as well. While having the representation of an attorney may reduce the amount of your overall proceeds, you can be assured that the insurance company has their own legal advisors.

However, there’s a new twist on an old notion you should be aware of. These people – if that term can be applied here – are commonly known as “ambulance chasers,” though they prefer to be known as “representatives of accident management companies.” The fact that they’ll descend on you at the hospital – maybe even at the site of an accident – is immaterial. They’re there to help – and they’re going to help you in the same way the Federal Government helped the Cherokee nation to Oklahoma.

Make no mistake, no matter how well they speak, no matter how comforting they are – they’re trying to sell you something. And they’re doing it when you are nervous, anxious and/or hurt. Don’t let them play you into signing or doing something you aren’t ready to do.

But is that to say that you should have nothing to do with them? Not necessarily. Personal injury cases can be a confusing mess of legal tangles. But stop and think. Do you have a relationship with an insurance agent? Never had a problem with them before? Well then why drop them now? In fact that’s exactly why you hired them in the first place. They can guide you, or at least help to get the process started.

Let’s say you don’t have that kind of existing arrangement. And that nice young man made a good case for you as you sat in the emergency room. There are a few things that you should ask him before you give any serious consideration to the services of his “accident management company.”

First, ask if you’ll get the “full compensation” from any settlement. If he says anything but “yes,” tell him to leave you alone and, if he persists, have the nearest security official remove him. If there’s a settlement – it’s yours. Why give it away to anyone?

Next, ask him if there are any fees you’ll need to pay. If he say there are, or their might be, again have him removed. In these cases, fees are paid by the party at fault, not the victim of the accident. The agent – or his company – knows this and any fee to the victim is double-dipping and you want nothing to do with them.

Make it very plain – ask if they recover all costs from the party at fault. Only consider them if they answer “yes.” That is the way the system works, after all. Finally, ask if you’d need to pay anyone once the claim is settled. The answer better be no, for the reasons outlined above.

Finally, put no stock in claims that they’ve won so many cases like this before. There are no cases like this before – every accident is unique and may contain unforeseen factors that will directly affect the outcome. Previous outcomes won’t mean anything for your case. Remember that before you sign anything that ties you to an accident management company.