The insurance company handling your car accident claim is not your friend. However, insurance adjusters are experts at coming across as though they have the claimant’s interests in mind. But the fact is that insurance companies are beholden to revenue and profits. So they employ tricks and tactics to pay as little as possible or nothing at all. Contact a car accident lawyer and understand the car insurance company tricks.
Will you be seeking compensation for losses from a car accident? If so, keep an eye out for the following car insurance company tricks.
Pretending to Be Your Friend
Insurance adjusters attempt to present themselves as friendly parties. They make statements that imply that they care about the accident victim. But in reality, they are simply grooming the claimant to accept a lowball offer.
Insurance companies make major profits by consistently collecting premiums while reducing policy payouts. One powerful way to do this is by establishing a friendly rapport with the car accident victim. Once a claimant believes that the adjuster is on their side, the adjuster can steer the settlement number south of what the victim deserves.
Using Your Words Against You
One of the principal ways adjusters reduce or deny claims is by using claimants’ words against them. For example, some adjusters push claimants to give a written or recorded statement regarding the accident.
If they’re not careful, the claimant could say something that the adjuster could use to imply liability on the part of the claimant. That, in turn, would lead to a reduced or denied claim.
Claimants who receive requests for recorded statements should know that they are under no obligation to do so without representation by a personal injury lawyer.
Offering You a Quick Low-Ball Settlement
In most cases, every party to a lawsuit or claim wants a timely resolution to the affair. Insurance companies desire swift resolutions to avoid wasting time and resources. The claimant may simply need the money and want to move on. In any case, one of the most effective car insurance company tricks is exploiting the victim’s desire for an end to things.
Knowing the victim needs the money, adjusters will often tempt them with quick payouts as early as the next day. The problem is that these payouts are far below what the claimants should receive.
However, adjusters are often successful at persuading claimants to take the sure money and run. But the claimants who fall for this leave significant compensation on the table.
Delaying or Failing to Communicate with You
One of the cruelest car insurance company tricks is to delay or fail to communicate with the claimant.
Car accident claimants desperately need resources to address the losses they are suffering. Of course, insurance companies know this and understand the situation of their claimants. Adjusters know that delaying communications or ghosting a claimant can make them desperate enough to lower their expectations.
Insurance company adjusters also know that delaying a payout can make a car accident victim’s case considerably weaker. Over time, some cases begin to suffer from evidence issues:
- Video footage may go missing
- Witnesses may pass away or become unreachable
- Physical evidence of the crash may go missing
These strategies of delay are backed by solid reasoning: If the insurance company waits long enough, it will become harder for the claimant to find evidence that proves their case. The harder it is to establish proof in a car accident claim, the easier it is to negotiate a lower settlement or deny the claim.
Talking You Out of Seeing an Attorney
One of the dirtiest car insurance company tricks is to talk you out of seeing an attorney. In the same breath, the adjuster may also make light of your injuries, all in an attempt to pay less. Essentially, they want you to believe that your case is not so serious and that bringing a lawyer in will not be beneficial in the long run.
The problem with this, along with anything else an insurance adjuster says, is that the adjuster always has the best interests of the insurance company in mind. So if the adjuster says not to get an attorney, it means that the insurance company will benefit if you do not get an attorney.
Can you get car insurance without a license?
Yes, it is possible to get car insurance without license but in most cases, it is difficult to get car insurance without a valid driver’s license. Car insurance is typically designed to cover individuals who are legally allowed to operate a vehicle. Insurance companies typically require drivers to have a valid driver’s license to qualify for coverage.
Misrepresenting Policy Coverage
When seeking compensation, claimants must deal with professional adjusters who know car insurance policies inside and out. Adjusters understand the parts of these contracts that confuse claimants and take advantage of the confusion to:
- Completely deny coverage
- Partially deny coverage
- Underpay
- Make unreasonable demands of the claimant
As an example of misrepresenting policy coverage, consider an insurance company adjuster who only agrees to pay a car accident victim’s health insurance deductible or co-pay instead of the full cost of the treatment. You can even get car insurance without license.
How an Attorney Can Help
Sadly, these car insurance company tricks often work on car accident claimants who do not have attorneys representing them. Day after day, insurance companies walk away with fantastic profits by convincing or manipulating victims to take less.
Enter the seasoned car accident attorney. They have one job: to maximize the compensation their client receives. And they do this by using their years of experience to counter the tricks and tactics employed by adjusters.
Although the presence of an attorney is never a guarantee of any result, insurance adjusters know that victims with experienced attorneys are on equal footing and cannot be pushed around.
Meet with an Experienced Car Accident Lawyer Today
Are you fighting with an insurance company to cover your losses caused by a car accident? The Joel Bieber Firm is ready to discuss your case and the compensation you may be owed. Call our office to set up a free consultation today and learn how we can help.
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