If you have ever found yourself in a situation where you have been injured in a car accident or personal injury, there’s a pretty good chance that you have heard from the individual who was at-fault’s insurance company. However, their interests are opposite from yours considering the at-fault party is someone they insured. You deserve to be compensated fairly for your injuries, but the insurance adjuster is not there for your benefit. The ultimate goal of the insurance agency is to pay as little as possible by denying and devaluing claims. Keep reading below on common tactics insurance companies use in order to lower your claim so you can be aware!
Quick to Call
One common tactic that insurance adjusters take after receiving a claim is to call immediately following an accident. They tend to ask how you are doing, apologize and let you know you can trust them. It can be tempting to engage in conversation with the adjuster but keep in mind they are not on your side. Being nice is their tactic to get you to open up and let your guard down in hopes they get information that can later be used against you.
Recorded Statements
Giving an insurance adjuster a recorded statement of your side of the story seems reliable, right? However, these recorded statements are taken to use against you later. For instance, an adjuster may ask you about an injury to your back, and then later say you never told them you hurt your neck as well, so you must not have suffered the injury during the accident. If you are asked to give a recorded statement, politely decline unless you are instructed to do so by your attorney.
Offers a Quick Settlement
While it may be tempting to take money for settlement of a claim, you shouldn’t do this until you know the extent of your injuries. They offer this in order to say your claim has been settled and to keep you from pursuing anything further in the future, even if your injuries get worse.
Denying Liability
Let’s say you’re involved in an accident and the person at-fault rear-ends you. The insurance company may deny liability by stating that there is no way you could be injured as a result of the accident. This tends to occur when the insurance company deems an accident to have caused minimal damage. Another tactic insurance companies take is by claiming you are partially at fault for the accident. By doing this, they are hoping that any witnesses will not want to be involved in order to devalue your claim.
The tactics listed above are just a few ways an insurance company may try to lower your claim. Hiring an attorney gives you the upper hand since they have experience insurance companies don’t want you to know about. If you or someone you know has been injured in an accident, reach out to Stephen T. Holman to get the compensation you deserve.
Stephen T. Holman, Senior Partner, and Justin T. Holman, Partner, are committed to providing the best legal service in Pensacola, Destin, Pace and Cantonment, FL in a variety of legal areas including Family Law and Personal Injury. We specialize in Fathers’ Rights and will be there every step of the way to fight for your rights. Our office is located at 1940 W. Saint Mary Avenue, Pensacola, FL 32501. Contact us now for a free consultation at our office or go online at www.HolmanFirm.com.
Services We Offer:
Family Law | Child Custody | Divorce | Personal Injury | Auto Accidents
