We hear it all the time, “you don’t need to hire an attorney after a car crash” or “I didn’t hire an attorney and recovered just fine.” We are also aware that millions of people don’t know that hiring a lawyer is even an option after a car crash. But choosing to deal with the auto insurance company on your own is like trying to fly across the country by yourself without a pilot’s license. It’s a bad idea.
In 2019, there were 1,657 fatal crashes and 135,880 possible injuries caused by car accidents just in the Lone Star state. The families left behind or those left with significant injuries also deal with severe emotional trauma resulting from car crashes. No matter the type of injury, living with lifelong consequences from another person’s negligence without amends for your losses is unjust. This is why it is essential to understand what the insurance company will do to deny or devalue your claim.
Can car insurance companies be trusted to do the right thing if I’m injured in a car crash?
Insurance companies spend millions of dollars on advertising to earn your trust. However, those same insurance companies use several tactics to deny and devalue auto crash claims. After a crash and unfair offers, clients may realize that auto insurance companies don’t deserve their trust. In many cases, injured clients decide to contact our offices for one of the following reasons:
- They’re more injured than they thought.
- Their vehicle is totaled or requires costly repairs.
- They realize how time-consuming dealing with the insurance company actually is.
- They’re on the verge of financial ruin after the crash.
In each of these cases, you’re relying on the auto insurance company to provide you with the proper compensation so that you can recover both financially and physically. However, the insurance company will fight you every step of the way.
How will the insurance company deny or devalue my claim?
When you are dealing with recovering from an injury, the last thing you should be focused on is negotiating with an insurance adjuster. Fighting with the insurance company can become a massive headache that may result in you giving in and settling for less than what you deserve. However, you don’t have to do it alone. A qualified injury attorney knows the tricks of the trade and has the know-how to get you the maximum compensation for your recovery.
Without a lawyer to protect your right, insurance adjusters will do the following to devalue or deny your claim.
Try to catch you off guard
Shortly after your crash, the insurance company may contact you. They will act extra friendly to get you to let your guard down. The agent on the line will generally give you assurances that the insurance company will take care of you. They do this for a variety of reasons:
- To take advantage of your emotional vulnerability after a crash.
- To take advantage of you before you’ve had time to determine the full extent of your injuries.
- Before you’ve had time to talk with a lawyer.
It is crucial to keep in mind that the insurance adjuster is not on your side during this conversation. The adjuster is trying to save the insurance company money. Often, the friendly demeanor is an effort to get you to let your guard down and reveal information that they can use against you later.
Ask for a recorded statement
Recorded statements are not for your benefit. They are a tool that insurance companies use to deny or devalue your claim. They will typically ask you pointed questions that may be used against you at a later date.
An insurance adjuster may contact you shortly after the crash, sometimes the same day, and ask you to describe your injuries. For example, the adjuster may ask you to describe your neck injuries but later say that you never told them about back pain. The ultimate goal is not to cover your injuries or medical bills. If an insurance adjuster asks you for a recorded statement, you should politely decline and contact a personal injury attorney right away. Generally, you will want to give a recorded or written statement in the presence of your attorney. Your attorney will know precisely what questions are meant to trip you up.
Offer a quick settlement in exchange for you to release your claim
This is typically a tactic the insurance company relies on upon the early stages of your crash. Much like contacting you within hours of the crash, the insurance company relies on your vulnerability and rash decision-making in the aftermath of a traumatic experience to get you to settle for an unfair amount in exchange for releasing your claim. Once you release your claim, you cannot go back and sue the insurance company for your actual damages. This means that if your injuries and property damage are more severe than you previously thought, you will not be able to pursue any other amount than what has already been agreed upon.
While it may be tempting to take the money and put the crash behind you, we strongly advise against it. This is a mistake that the insurance company wants you to make. After all, the insurance company wants you to settle for as little as possible to save them money in the long run. A qualified attorney can take a look at your case, your medical bills, future medical or therapy expenses, and other damages such as pain and suffering and determine the amount you’ll require to recover from their insured’s negligence.
Convince you to sign a medical authorization
The insurance adjuster will likely ask you to sign a medical authorization so that they can pull your medical records. You may believe that this is for your benefit—that they’ll use the information you consented to release to see what medical services you’ve had performed since the crash and then offer an amount to cover your bills. However, that is not the case. Instead, the insurance company will use your consent on your medical authorization to pull all of your medical information. They will look at your entire medical history and try to attribute your injuries to past medical conditions.
The insurance company will argue that your injuries are asymptomatic pre-existing conditions. They will say that even though the crash “reactivated” your injuries, their insured is not responsible for your injuries. This is just another way to get out of paying you what you’re owed. You should decline signing a medical authorization unless directed to do so by your attorney.
Dispute liability
Many times insurance companies will dispute their policy holder’s liability after a car crash. In essence, the company is saying that its insured is not at fault or that you don’t have enough evidence to prove their insured is at fault.
Hiring an attorney is your best defense against this type of insurance tactic. The Carlson Law Firm has the resources to defend you from false allegations from the insurance company. We have dedicated attorneys, private investigators, nurses, field experts, and a legal team who will investigate your case to determine fault and verify that your injuries are the result of your crash.
Dispute medical bills
Insurance companies will fight your medical bills and devalue your claims. The insurance company may say you weren’t that injured, or you were treated too long. They may even try to say that you could’ve recovered sooner or you received unreasonable treatment.
Remember, the insurance company is trying to save money. They will say anything in an attempt to pay less on your claim. Insurance companies have computer software that tells adjusters when to fight claims and what issues to fight on your claim. For example, the insurance company may fight you over the length of treatment, treatment costs, or delays in treatment—even if the delay is only a week.
Convince you not to receive certain medical treatment
If you try dealing with an insurance adjuster on your own, they may try to convince you to stop treatment and tell you that the insurance company won’t pay for it. However, if you listen to the insurance company, you may not get the treatment you need. In addition, listening to the insurance adjuster may hurt your case for financial recovery in the long run. The insurance company will use your failure to get treatment to imply that you’re not as injured as you claim.
We can’t stress enough that the insurance company does not have your best interest at heart. They don’t care about your recovery, only about the money they can save. You should not have to fight for the treatment you know you need to recover from due to another person’s negligence.
Use delay tactics to get you to settle
After a traumatic event, you will likely face financial difficulties. The insurance company knows that you will be trying to balance mounting medical bills, loss of income, losing your vehicle, or paying for repairs with your personal and work life. An insurance company will use this stress to its advantage to deny or devalue claims. They realize that you are far more likely to settle when you are desperate enough for money to catch up on bills.
It’s important to remember that dealing with the insurance company by yourself adds to your stress. This is part of why the auto insurance company doesn’t want you to get a lawyer. A lawyer’s job is to deal with the paperwork, adjusters, and negotiations so that you don’t have to. We will take away the stress so that you can focus on your recovery.
Confuse you by misrepresenting the law
When you choose to deal with the at-fault party’s insurance company alone, they will rely on your lack of knowledge of the law. For example, the insurance adjuster will try to convince you that you are not entitled to pain and suffering compensation or lost wages. These tactics are for the sole purpose of devaluing your claims.
Do not accept legal advice from the at-fault party’s insurance company. A personal injury attorney from The Carlson Law Firm is knowledgeable of the law and has your best interests in mind.
Misrepresent the amount of coverage available for your claim
Insurance adjusters may try to convince you that only a certain amount is available to pay on a claim. A personal injury attorney from The Carlson Law Firm has a whole team of savvy legal assistants, private investigators, and nurses who can investigate your claim and determine the limits of the at-fault party’s insurance coverage. In addition, a personal injury attorney can review your case to determine whether or not other laws applicable to your situation.
Convince you not to hire an attorney
Unfortunately, there’s no such thing as an insurance company on your side. Insurance companies do not care about fully compensating people for their pain and suffering. Because of this, you have to rely on an attorney. An attorney deals with insurance companies and the law for a living, and we are aware of all of the insurance company’s tricks and tactics. Much like the internet can’t teach you to perform surgery on yourself, it cannot teach you the ins and outs of dealing with insurance companies.
The Carlson Law Firm employs private investigators who can get footage of your crash when possible, access the at-fault party’s information, and even access phone records to prove the driver was distracted.
Why would the insurance company devalue or deny your claim?
Insurance companies will rarely find it in their best interest to help you understand your rights from the first moment that you all speak on the phone. Unfortunately, insurance companies will often take advantage of injury victim’s vulnerability after they have been hurt. Insurance companies are businesses, and at the end of the day, they want to make sure they’re profitable. For insurance companies, this means that taking in more money with customer’s premiums payments than paying out injured people the proper compensation.
When insurance companies can’t deny the claim because there isn’t enough proof to deny your claim outright, they face the choice of having to devalue your claim. However, the insurance company must explain why your claim isn’t worth the monetary amount you are asking for.
When Should I Contact a Car Accident Lawyer?
If an insurance company denies or devalues your claims, a personal injury attorney is your best advocate when dealing with the insurance company. If you were not at fault, you should hire an attorney as soon as possible. Car accidents have the potential to be extremely life-altering and can leave you with serious injuries, property damage, and financial hardship.
Hiring a qualified car accident lawyer gives you the upper hand in situations where you have:
- Admitted fault, even though it wasn’t your fault.
- Can’t prove the at-fault party was negligent.
- Even minor injuries after a car crash can turn out to be much more serious weeks down the line.
- There is extensive property damage to your vehicle.
- Believe you have a wrongful death case.
The claims process is not one to take lightly. Our firm puts your health above all else. Reducing stress after an accident is crucial to your recovery. Call us today to schedule a free case evaluation and leave filing paperwork and negotiations to a Carlson Law Firm car accident lawyer. We are here for you 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
