Common Tactics Used by Insurance Companies & How a Car Accident Lawyer Helps?
Have you recently experienced a car accident? Are you trying hard to get the compensation that you deserve? We know that it’s not an easy process. Though insurance companies make so many promises about providing full compensation for unfortunate incidents, they are not so easy to believe what you say. Insurance companies try all possible ways to reduce or deny the payout (but that’s not what you deserve). Being a business, their priority is to increase their profits. If you are unfamiliar with the car accident process, you might get caught off guard.
Let us share some tactics that insurance companies use and how you can stay away from them. Our priority is to get you the compensation that you have lost.
Quick Settlement Offers
The most commonly used tactic to pay as little as possible is a quick settlement offer soon after the accident. This is where most people will fall prey. The insurance adjuster reaches out and gives an initial offer that may seem reasonable at that time. Yet, the early offers are much lower than the actual value of your claim.
Insurance companies hope that victims will accept these low offers without hiring a lawyer. It avoids a large payout down the line. If you have a lawyer, he will evaluate the actual costs of property damage, medical expenses, and lost wages. He will negotiate on your behalf and will never settle for less than you deserve.
Downplaying Injuries
Insurance adjusters would go any mile to increase their profits. They will try to reduce the extent of your injuries and argue that they are not as severe as claimed. They may question your medical records and claim that injuries were pre-existing. They frequently build up the argument of exaggeration of your suffering.
Car accidents always gather and present medical evidence after consulting with experts to build a strong case. It will accurately reflect the severity of your injuries. It will help to counter attempts by the insurance company to undermine your claim.
Delaying the Claims Process
Some insurance companies tend to go the counter way – they delay the process. They continue to drag the process in the hope of wearing down the complaint. It gives a huge financial burden to the accident victims who are dealing with lost wages and medical bills. It pushes them to settle for a lower compensation out of desperation.
Lawyers have an extensive knowledge of the legal deadlines and the time limits that apply to insurance claims. They can push the process forward to keep the claim on time. Plus, a lawyer can file a lawsuit if the insurance company is acting in bad faith.
Recording Statements
Insurance companies have trained their employees in a way to ask leading and overloaded questions. You may think of it as a normal routine process that your statement is being recorded, but in reality, this is going against you. They would ask questions in a way that could lead you to say something that damages your claim. They will issue these statements to suggest that you admitted fault downplaying your injuries.
A car accident lawyer gives the best possible advice on what information you should share and what to avoid during a conversation switching insurance companies; in many cases, they will handle all the communication themselves, so you don’t have to stress about anything going out of hand.
Shifting Blame
Another tactic employed by insurance companies is shifting some or all of the blame for the accident onto the victim. If you are found partially at fault for the incident, your compensation will go down. For example, if your fault is 20% =, your compensation would go down by 20%.
Layers investigate the incident thoroughly to gather all possible evidence that would bring up a strong case. They counter the insurance adjuster’s attempts to shift the balance and work to ensure that the other party is entirely responsible for the accident.
Using Social Media
Insurance adjusters look at your social media profiles for evidence that contradicts your claims. For example, if you have stored photos of engaging in any activity after the accident, they would come up with the argument that your injuries are not as serious as you claim.
Wrap Up!
Lawyers would advise you on the best practices to follow throughout the process so you get the maximum compensation. They have the knowledge and expertise that would help you get out of this matter as soon as possible with full compensation. If your insurance company is using tactics, find a West Palm Beach car accident lawyer who can target their claims. Contact us for a free consultation.
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