Most victims believe that the insurance company will help them in their car accident claim process. Unfortunately, insurance firms are profit-driven businesses that want to pay as little as possible. They do this by making the car accident claim process as difficult as possible or by giving silly reasons to deny or delay the claim.
In this article, we are going to discuss some similar tactics insurance companies use to devalue your claim.
Table of Contents
Contacting You Immediately After the Accident
One of the first things the insurance company may do is contact you shortly after the car accident and request a recorded statement. They may pretend to be friendly and concerned about your well-being, but their actual motive is to get you to say something that can be used against you later.
Delaying Claim Processing
The insurance company will delay the car accident claim process for as long as possible. They may ask for unnecessary paperwork, ignore your phone calls, or misplace your documents.
They do this hoping that by delaying your claim, you will become frustrated and accept whatever they offer as compensation.
Discrediting Your Evidence
The insurance company may try to challenge the validity of the evidence you’ve submitted. They may claim that your injuries are not related to the car accident, that your treatment was unnecessary or excessive, or that your witnesses are unreliable or biased.
They may hire their own experts to dispute your claims and provide alternative explanations for your injuries and damages.
Arguing You Had a Pre-Existing Condition
The insurance company will try to devalue your claim by arguing that your injury was pre-existing, meaning that it existed before the car accident. They may use your previous claims, medical history, or social media posts to show that you had a similar injury or condition in the past.
Moreover, they may use any delays or gaps in your treatment to suggest that your injury was not caused by the accident or that it is not as serious as you claim.
Blaming You for the Accident
The insurance company will try to shift some or all of the blame of the accident to you. They may use the evidence from the scene, the police report, or the witness statements to show that you were distracted, speeding, intoxicated, or otherwise negligent.
Insurance companies will use the contributory or comparative negligence laws in your state to reduce or deny your compensation. These laws state that if you were partially at fault in a car accident, your recovery will be denied or reduced accordingly.
Using Social Media Against You
The insurance company may check your social media activity to find evidence that contradicts your claim.
They may use your posts to show that you were not injured, that you were involved in other activities, or that you were lying about the car collision. Moreover, they will use your social media posts to damage your character, credibility, or reputation.
Convincing You Not to Consult an Attorney
The insurance company will try to discourage you from hiring an attorney to represent you. They may tell you that an attorney will take a large percentage of your settlement, that you can handle a car accident claim on your own, or that hiring an attorney will delay or complicate the legal process.
These are all lies.
The truth is that an attorney can help you protect your rights, negotiate a fair settlement, and take your case to court if required.
Wrapping Up
The best way to protect yourself from these seven sneaky tactics of the insurance company is by hiring an experienced car accident attorney. An experienced car accident attorney will not let the insurance company take advantage of you.