Why You Shouldn’t Deal with Insurance Companies Alone After an Accident

Insurance companies probably hold classes in the finer points of reassuring nervous or inexperienced claimants. Unfortunately, dealing with an insurance company is almost always an expensive error in your claim strategy. Even your own insurance company is not 100% on your side when you make a no-fault claim.

According to legal and business experts, it’s always a mistake to assume that your own insurance company will play fairly.

Insurance Companies Strive to Minimize Claims

Insurance companies always work to minimize claim amounts, and some companies go so far that they deny all initial claims automatically.

That’s a great reason to hire an experienced lawyer. Attorneys know that initial denial of claims is a common dodge used to take advantage of inexperienced claimants. Insurance companies and opposing lawyers try to take advantage of claimants without legal representation, so even small claims are initially denied to see whether the strategy works. According to an Austin accident lawyer, your own insurance company uses claim denials to gather further intelligence about the accident. In other words, you should interpret the fact that an insurance adjuster asks to record your conversation with suspicion.

If it happens, refuse the request immediately. Adjusters hope that you will make a mistake confirmed by the recording. You’re only obligated to give your own insurance company a recorded statement when making a claim. If that’s the case, stick to the facts as outlined by the police report – except to deny any inaccurate facts or suppositions.

You can freely deny any settlement that you think is too low. However, even with your own insurance company, it’s wise to point out that you haven’t received all your medical bills and estimates of future medical expenses. Suggest calmly but firmly that a settlement figure would be premature at present. Your insurance company will get the implied message clearly – that you won’t be railroaded with a low-ball settlement offer.

Dangers of Speaking with the Other Driver’s Insurance Company

According to insurance specialists, most experts agree that speaking with the other driver’s insurance company poses too many risks. You’re legally obligated to report the facts of the accident to your own insurance company, but you have no obligation to talk with the other side.

Insurance company adjusters can be charming with statements like “let’s clear up this matter quickly to get you some money.” However, their real motive is protecting the company’s financial interests. Adjusters routinely deny accident claims for trumped-up reasons. They try to ignore future medical expenses and non-financial claims and negotiate the lowest settlement they can. That’s why you need an experienced lawyer on your side to explain the fine print of your insurance policy, the at-fault party’s insurance policy, and represent your interests from beginning to end.

Adjusters are trained to look for inconsistencies in your conversation, police statements, and published social media comments. For example, it’s common to describe an accident with different terms for different audiences, but adjusters use any conflicts to deny your claim. For example, did a friend ask you on social media if you were OK after the accident, and you said, “Yes, I’m fine?” Here is a reason for an insurance company to deny your claim.

In addition, adjusters master the art of asking tricky questions that force you to answer unfavorable terms to your case. Some questions that focus on small details might irritate you enough to agree with inaccurate statements that you don’t know are true or false.

Times of Heightened Concerns Aren’t Suitable for Negotiating

You have a lot to deal with after an accident. Financial worries often rank near the top of your concerns. It’s not a good time to negotiate. Insurance companies try to take advantage of your uncertainties by offering a fast settlement. However, agents process claims each day, and they have the skills to convince you to accept a low offer.

Evening the Score

The bottom line is that you need the expert advice and counsel of an experienced personal injury and car accident attorney. Give yourself the chance to even the score in settlement negotiations, and don’t allow anyone to use your situation or your words against you. In some circumstances, your attorney might want to take your case to trial and seek economic and non-economic damages from a judge or a jury. Self-representation in an insurer’s office or a court of law is always a bad idea.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

With a law degree under his belt, Mark Scott understood very early that law communication was a relatively neglected area. He decided to help people by “translating” the language and offering information and advice in a clear, useful, and actionable manner. For this reason, instead of finding him in court, you will most likely find his name online, where he is very active and thriving as a legal columnist. His part of making the world a better place is to make the law a less convoluted maze. He aims to make it easier for people to understand when and how to seek legal counsel, how to proceed in a significant number of legal matters, and to find the proper resources so they can stand up for their rights.