When you have a personal injury claim, be aware of the tricks insurance companies will use to try to avoid paying claims like yours. While there are some occasions where the defendant's insurance company will act in good faith and offer a fair settlement without extensive litigation, it is more common that the insurance company uses tactics to try to trick you into losing our claim.
The insurance company works hard to avoid paying out people whenever they can avoid it. That is why it's so important to have a lawyer on your side who has experience winning personal injury cases like yours and is familiar with the tricks insurance companies use to avoid paying claims. Burger Law has stood up to countless insurance companies over the years, going after the compensation our clients are entitled to. Find out how we can help you by
calling us at 314-542-2222.
Tricks Insurance Companies Use To Avoid Paying Your Claim
Insurance agents are rewarded for minimizing the payout the company has to give, or avoiding responsibility for the damages completely. They have developed a series of tricks and tactics they commonly use to try to trick you into settling low or losing your claim altogether.
Beware of the following strategies employed by defendants' insurance companies to trick you into a low settlement or non-settlement.
- Stalling
Insurance companies are large corporations. Personal injury victims are very often individuals or families that, sooner or later, really NEED the money from the settlement to move forward with their lives. Insurance companies know this and will intentionally draw out the process as long as they can in hopes that you will give up or get inpatient and accept a low-ball offer.
- Offering False Sympathy
Sometimes they will try to appear to be on your side. Their strategy is to blindside you or to build a false sense of trust and camaraderie so that they can - again - manipulate you into a lower settlement.
- Spying on you
In some cases, adjusters might go so far as to hire a private investigator to try to catch you going about your day doing things you claim you physically can't do due to your accident-related injuries. But more likely they will look for evidence in your contradictory statements or through your social media activity. They will look for posts from or about you that indicate that you are enjoying your life as normal and able to physically do things you claim you can't.
- Lying to you
One of the easiest and most common tactics insurance companies use to minimize your claim is to lie to you outright. They will attempt to trick you into believing you don't have a legitimate claim or otherwise cannot pursue rightful compensation. Read on for some of the common lies insurance companies tell personal injury claimants.
Lies Insurance Companies Tell To Avoid Paying Claims
- You have to give a recorded statement. (If they tell you this, speak to your lawyer)
- They do not have to pay for medical care if your personal health insurance paid for it.
- Do not have to pay your wage loss damages because you took sick time, disability or your employer covered you.
- That a lawyer will only take away money from you and out of your pocket in a settlement. (this is false because we would not take a case if we could not add value to it).
- That there is no way you could have been as injured as you were from the impact.
- That the insured only has a certain amount of insurance coverage so they cannot pay. (Get a copy of the declaration page and the policy terms and make them give you an affidavit that there is no other insurance).
- You have to settle now or they will rescind their offer. (They will not).
- They can only put so much on the case. (They can get permission to pay more).
Don't Get Tricked By the Insurance Companies
When you've been hurt in an accident where another party was at fault, you are entitled by law to receive compensation to help make you whole again. Unfortunately, the insurance companies who are on the hook to pay you this money often use tricks to try to avoid paying the settlement you deserve for your claim.
If the insurance company is not willing to pay your claim in good faith and are attempting to trick you into settling low or dropping your claim, you owe it to yourself to hire a capable law firm to defend against their tricks and tactics. Burger Law has helped people like you survive their cases and get the full compensation they deserve. Talk to us today; just call 314-542-2222 or reach us here.