How to Navigate Insurance Company Tactics

When an accident causes personal injuries, insurance companies may use different tactics to try to resolve your claim quickly for as little money as possible. To protect yourself, consider hiring the personal injury lawyers at McKinney Vos. We can evaluate your claim, explain your options, and fight to maximize your financial compensation after an injury.

Common Insurance Company Tactics

Insurance companies are in the business of making money. Their goal is to maximize profits and increase shareholder returns. One way they do this is by taking in money through insurance premiums. But they also increase profitability by reducing the money they pay out in settlements. Here are six tactics insurance adjusters may use to reduce the value of your insurance claim or deny it altogether.

#1 - Getting the Victim to Admit Fault

After an accident, the insurance adjuster may ask you to provide a recorded statement. Some insurance adjusters will try to use the recorded statement as an opportunity to get you to admit that the accident was your fault. Then they can use your words against you to deny coverage for your claims.

#2 - Blaming the Victim for Their Injuries

Insurance adjusters may try to blame you for your injuries, claiming you were at fault, waited too long to receive treatment, experienced a gap in treatment, or failed to mitigate your damages. They might say you could have avoided some of the costs by seeking treatment sooner or that a gap in treatment means you must have been healed.

#3 - Disputing Whether Your Injuries Are Related to the Accident

Insurance companies often dispute whether your injuries were caused by the accident. The insurance adjuster may argue your injuries are not related to your claim because they existed before the accident (a “pre-existing injury”) or occurred after the accident.

#4 - Delaying Payment of Your Claim

Many insurance adjusters believe that mounting medical bills and lost time from work can put you in a financial bind. Even if you have good health insurance, missing time from work can make paying deductibles and copays difficult. The insurance company might try to use your vulnerability to its advantage so you accept a low settlement offer. They might even delay processing your claim until you are in dire financial straits.

#5 - Making Lowball Settlement Offers

For most insurance companies, resolving a personal injury claim is a process. Their first offer is often significantly lower than what they are authorized to pay and could be considerably less than what you should accept. Before you agree to settle, be sure the insurance adjuster has a comprehensive understanding of your economic and non-economic losses and the full extent of your injuries.

#6 - Telling You Not to Hire a Lawyer

Technically, you do not need a lawyer to resolve a personal injury claim. But a lawyer can help you prove who was at fault, maximize your financial recovery, and reduce some of your stress by handling your claim against those insurance company tactics.

If you ask an insurance adjuster whether you should hire a lawyer, their answer will most likely be “No.” But in most cases, it is in your best interests to work with a personal injury lawyer.

The lawyers at McKinney Vos can evaluate your claim, help you prove who was at fault for causing the accident, and present your claim in a way that will maximize your financial recovery.

How McKinney Vos Can Help

To fight back against these insurance company tactics, we recommend working with the personal injury lawyers at McKinney Vos. Our lawyers have years of experience representing people who suffered personal injuries. We understand the tactics some insurance adjusters use to try to deny liability or reduce the value of your claim, and we know how to overcome them. We can be with you and offer advice if you make a recorded statement. We will gather the information necessary to prove your claim. And we will fight to pursue justice and maximize your financial compensation, whether through a favorable settlement or litigation and trial.

McKinney Vos has the resources and expertise to critically evaluate your claim and fight for the compensation you and your family deserve. We will listen as you describe what happened and develop a plan to maximize your financial compensation.

When an accident causes serious injuries, experienced legal representation is crucial. We invite you to contact the injury lawyers at McKinney Vos today to schedule a free and confidential consultation to discuss your situation and how we can help.