After a car accident, you may have to deal with an overwhelming number of problems. Your car might have undergone considerable damage, and you might have suffered severe injuries. Furthermore, your finances might take a hit as well. You will have to pay hefty medical bills, and you won’t be able to work while recovering from your injuries.
During this challenging time, you may believe that insurance companies will treat you fairly and give you the money you need to regain control of your life. However, one of the worst mistakes you can make after a car accident is to think that insurance companies are your allies.
The truth is that insurance companies don’t make money by accepting every claim they receive. In fact, many insurers are in the business of avoiding paying claims to protect their bottom line. That’s why you should be aware of the tricks insurance companies will try to use to get you to accept a low settlement or deny your claim after an auto accident.
Of course, another way to protect yourself from some insurance companies’ dirty tactics is to work with a Los Angeles car accident attorney. If you want to talk to a top-rated law firm in LA, visit C&B Law Group’s website. Schedule a free consultation with an experienced dedicated attorney to increase your claim’s chances of success.
With a remarkable experience of more than 3 decades, The Law Offices of Samuel Fishman have been expertise in several areas ranging from car accidents to truck accidents and from medical malpractice to nursing home cases. In addition, they have helped accident victims pursue reimbursement for their injuries and losses.
1. They will pretend to be your friends.
After an auto accident, you’re sure to start getting calls from insurance company representatives. You’ll be contacted by a “claims adjuster,” and know this: they’ll try to convince you that they’re your friend.
The adjuster will probably seem concerned about you and ask how you are doing. But don’t be fooled; being friendly is part of their job. The adjuster’s goal is to get information or make you say something that can be used against you to deny your claim later. Avoid talking to claims adjusters after your accident, but if you must do it, describe the facts as they happened, don’t give them any additional information.
2. They’ll offer you a “quick settlement.”
Another shady tactic used by some insurance companies is to make you think you have to accept a settlement in a hurry. They may tell you that their offer will only be available for a limited time. Also, they might claim that you need the money to pay for your medical expenses right away.
Don’t let this deceive you; the insurer is probably trying to convince you to accept a “quick settlement.” However, taking this compensation won’t be beneficial to you in any way.
This settlement offer will probably be far lower than what you could receive if you are patient. If you accept a quick settlement, you may regret it later.
3. Their first offers will be low.
If the quick settlement tactic doesn’t work, the insurance company will probably make you other settlement offers. Still, those compensation offers may not be enough to cover all of the damages caused by the car accident.
Again, the key to getting fair compensation is to be patient and work with an experienced car accident attorney.
4. All you say will be used against you.
The insurance company representative may ask you to provide a statement about your damages and injuries to “expedite your claim. However, the reality is that they will try to get you to admit fault for the accident, downplay your injuries, or mislead you into accepting a much smaller settlement than you actually deserve. Rest assured that they will record anything you say. If you happen to say anything useful to them, they will try to use it to discredit you later.
Don’t risk providing a statement to a claims adjuster; you don’t have to until you can consult with an attorney. The auto accident attorney will go over the facts. Besides, the attorney could give the statement for you
5. They’ll drag out your claim.
An old insurance company trick is “deny, delay, don’t pay.” The insurer may try to delay your claim indefinitely until they eventually manage to dismiss it. To do so, they may ask you for more information or claim that they do not have enough medical information to process your claim.
In these cases, the insurance carrier may assure you that they will call you when they can process your claim. But if you let them, that wait will literally take forever. They know that the longer they delay your claim, the more likely it will be dismissed.
6. They may try to deny your claim.
If all else fails, the insurance company will likely try to deny your claim altogether. It doesn’t matter if the evidence points to you not being responsible for the accident; they may have your claim denied anyway.
Moreover, if you have a pre-existing condition, they will try to deny your claim by claiming that your current injuries are due to that condition. In other words, they will use any excuse they can find to dismiss your claim altogether. The best way to prevent them from getting away with this is to work with a car accident attorney but keep in mind that they will also try to stop you from doing so.
7. They’ll say you don’t need an attorney.
The last thing the insurance company wants you to do is to hire a car accident lawyer near you. They know that if an experienced attorney gets involved in your claim, the chances that they will have to pay you skyrocket. That’s why, after a car accident, consulting with a Los Angeles, motor vehicle accident lawyer should be one of your top priorities.
Now, you may be wondering: how do I find a lawyer near me? The most efficient way to do this is through a search engine such as Google, Bing, or Yahoo. Nowadays, modern lawyers use law firm SEO services to increase their online rankings and appear in the top results.
