How should I respond to a message about my car accident claim?

Start by Identifying the Sender and the Request

A message about a car accident claim may come from your insurer, the other driver’s insurer, an adjuster, a repair facility, or someone whose role is unclear. Your response may depend on who sent it. A request from your own insurance company may involve duties under your policy, while the other driver’s insurer represents its insured’s interests.

Before sending personal information, confirm the sender’s name, company, telephone number, claim number, and relationship to the claim. If the message contains a link or asks for sensitive information, verify it using a telephone number from your insurance card, claim paperwork, or the company’s official materials rather than relying only on the number in the text.

Read the message closely and determine whether it asks for:

• Basic contact or insurance information;
• A description of how the collision happened;
• A written or recorded statement;
• Photographs, a driver exchange form, or a police report;
• Medical records or a signed medical authorization;
• A signature on a release, settlement document, or payment form; or
• A response by a particular date.

If the request is unclear, it is reasonable to ask the sender to state in writing exactly what information or document is needed and why.

A Narrow Holding Response May Be Appropriate

You generally do not need to provide a detailed accident narrative in an immediate text response. If you want time for an attorney to review the message, a short response can acknowledge receipt without addressing fault, injuries, treatment, or settlement.

This is only a general example. The right wording depends on the sender, the request, and any obligations under an applicable insurance policy. Do not ignore a request from your own insurer without first reviewing the policy and obtaining guidance, because cooperation and notice requirements may matter.

Why the Wording of Your Response Matters in North Carolina

An adjuster may compare your response with the crash report, photographs, witness accounts, vehicle damage, medical records, and earlier statements. Even an informal text can become part of the claim file. Avoid estimates or guesses about speed, distance, timing, injuries, or what another driver was doing. If you do not know or do not remember something, do not fill in the gap.

Fault language deserves particular care because North Carolina allows contributory negligence as a defense. If that defense proves that an injured person’s own negligence helped cause the collision, it can create serious problems for the injury claim. Under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-139, the party raising contributory negligence generally bears the burden of proving it. Evidence should therefore address both what the other driver did and why the injured person’s conduct was reasonable.

This does not mean you should hide information or provide an inaccurate response. It means you should answer truthfully, carefully, and only within the scope of a request you understand.

Be Careful With Statements, Authorizations, and Releases

Recorded or detailed statements

If the message asks to schedule a recorded statement, first determine whether the request comes from your insurer or the other driver’s insurer. Ask about the purpose and scope of the statement. A detailed statement can cover road conditions, vehicle movements, distractions, prior statements, symptoms, and medical history. An attorney can help you understand the request before you participate.

Medical authorizations

Do not assume every medical authorization has the same scope. Some forms may seek records beyond the treatment connected to the collision. Review the provider names, date ranges, types of records covered, expiration terms, and parties permitted to receive the information before signing. This is different from gathering your own relevant medical records, bills, and visit summaries for claim documentation.

Settlement and release documents

A release can affect legal rights, and its effect may extend beyond receiving a property-damage payment. Do not sign a release, settlement agreement, or endorsement with unfamiliar language until you understand what claims and parties it covers. An attorney’s review can help distinguish a routine document request from one that could resolve or limit part of the claim.

Documents to Send for Attorney Review

Give the reviewing attorney enough information to identify the parties, insurers, and request. Useful items may include:

• A screenshot of the complete message showing the sender, date, and time;
• Earlier messages, emails, letters, or voicemail details from the same sender;
• Your insurance card and any available declarations page;
• The driver exchange form;
• The police or DMV crash report, if available;
• Claim numbers and adjuster contact information;
• Photographs or video of the scene and vehicle damage;
• Witness names and contact information;
• Repair estimates, towing records, and rental documents;
• Relevant medical records, bills, and visit summaries; and
• Any authorization, release, settlement form, or deadline included with the message.

Keep the original files when possible. Do not crop out identifying claim information or delete the message after forwarding it. Preserve related photographs, videos, vehicle data, and documents because evidence may be harder to obtain later.

North Carolina law requires investigating agencies to prepare reports for reportable crashes and forward them as provided by law. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-166.1 addresses crash reporting and information such as the crash conditions, involved people, and vehicles. A crash report can help identify basic claim information, but it should be reviewed together with other evidence rather than treated as the complete claim file.

How This Applies to the Message You Received

Because the proposed response is being reviewed before it is sent, the practical first step is to preserve and forward the complete message rather than paraphrasing it. Include the insurance card and whatever accident documents are available, such as the driver exchange form or police report. If a document is unavailable, provide the crash date, location, drivers’ names, investigating agency, and any known claim number.

Until the sender and request are confirmed, avoid transmitting an insurance card or other personal document to an unfamiliar number. If a response deadline appears in the message, point it out to the reviewing attorney. Do not assume that silence is harmless, but do not let a short requested deadline pressure you into signing or making a detailed statement you do not understand.

Do Not Lose Track of the Claim Deadline

Messages and negotiations with an insurer do not automatically extend the time to file a lawsuit. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-52 generally provides a three-year period for many North Carolina personal injury and property-damage actions, although different rules or shorter procedural deadlines can apply in some situations. The specific deadline should be calculated from the facts rather than assumed from a general rule.