Three Common Insurance Company Tactics That Could Derail Your Personal Injury Claim
Insurance companies go to great lengths to avoid paying their policyholders’ claims, even after they have paid their monthly premiums for years and remained loyal to their services.
The truth is, insurance coverage is designed to make its policyholders feel protected.
But when it is time to rely on their financial support, especially when pursuing someone else’s insurance coverage after a Florida car, truck, motorcycle, or pedestrian accident, the insurance company will reverse course and implement a combination of tactics to disrupt an injury victim’s ability to recover financially.
The insurance companies three main tactics can include:
- Demanding a recorded statement
- Undervaluing your claim
- Delaying your claim
Here’s a more in-depth look at these tactics, and how our Vero Beach personal injury lawyer can help you avoid their attempts to undermine the validity of your case, and our ability to pursue the best financial outcome available for your unique injury circumstances.
Insurance Companies Will Demand Injury Victims Make a Recorded Statement After a Collision
When a policyholder contacts their insurance company to say they have been involved in a car accident, the insurance representative will immediately obtain the details of the crash from their customer, and subsequently, call you — the injury victim.
The insurance representative is trained to ask how you are, if you are hurt, and ask for your side of the story regarding how the accident occurred.
They will be kind, pretend to care about your injuries, and insist they are calling to help.
The primary goal of these calls is to trick you into saying something — anything — that can be misconstrued as taking responsibility for the crash or admitting that you may not hurt by using a simple response like, “I’m okay.”
Insurance providers will always record the conversation they are having with you, so they can twist the statement to sound like you are admitting fault, which will release them from liability and financial fault.
If an insurance company representative calls you for a statement, know your rights. You do not have to provide a statement without consulting with an attorney first.
Insurance Companies Will Always Undervalue Your Claim
One of the most common car insurance company tricks is to undervalue the accident’s financial requirements, including devaluing your injuries and any damage to your vehicle or property.
Insurance companies intentionally calculate the financial recovery to reveal a lower figure than a claimant likely needs or deserves after a crash to protect their bottom line.
They will also typically present injury victims with these lowball offers immediately after the collision — before they know the full extent of their injuries or the associated costs — when they are confused by the crash and believe they are getting what sounds like a good offer.
In reality, if we have evidence that a negligent driver caused your long-term injuries, which will reach $75,000 in medical care and another $25,000 in lost wages while you pursue that care and the insurance company knows it, they will quickly make a much lower offer — typically less than half — in hopes that you will take it.
Once you sign and accept an undervalued settlement from the insurance company, the matter is closed.
Do not accept a low offer from the insurance company because you believe it is the best you can do. Contact our Vero Beach personal injury attorney at (772) 492-8967 to discuss your injuries, so together we can pursue the maximum financial recovery available for your unique case.
Insurance Companies Will Delay Your Claim. And Then Delay It Again.
When injury victims handle insurance claims on their own, they are often unaware of the legal overall filing requirements, and the insurance company will take advantage of that.
The longer they can delay your claim, either by stating you did not provide enough evidence or that the paperwork was incomplete, the more likely you are to become financially desperate and take less than fair offer. Do not let them win.
If you have been hurt in an accident, do not allow the insurance company to take advantage of your physical and emotional injuries or lack of legal knowledge, so they can come out on top. Contact our experienced Vero Beach personal injury attorney at the Law Offices of Keith Bregoff, PA to discuss the details of your claim today by calling (772) 492-8967 to schedule a free consultation.
