Insurance can cost a large amount of money. That’s why when we purchase car insurance we are generally under the impression that our (required) investment will help to protect us in the event of an accident. However, this is not always true. Insurance companies – like all businesses – exist to make money. When you are awarded money, they lose money. It is easy to see the problem with these misaligned interests. For this reason, insurance companies will often do their best to deny your claim, and might even use some tricks. Here are some of the more common tricks that insurance companies use to deny your claim.
They act like they are on your side.
When faced with a difficult situation, sometimes all we really want is someone who shows compassion and understands. That’s why many adjusters act as though they understand your hardship and are on your side. You may feel comfortable with them and open up, but it is important to remember that they work for the insurance company and not for you. Their goal is to make their employer money. They do this by saving the amount paid out. Paying you a lot of money – or any money at all – goes against this goal.
They misuse your words to make a case against you.
Your adjuster may ask you what happened, but it is important that you understand that you are in no way obligated to share your story without an attorney present. Additionally, they may ask to record you. You have every right to deny this request. Insurance companies will often attempt to record you saying something that they can then use against you later in an effort to deny or reduce your claim.
They try to persuade you to forgo hiring an attorney.
Your adjuster may tell you that hiring an attorney is not in your best interest since you will have to share a portion of your settlement with him or her. However, when they tell you this they are leaving out some of the most important facts. Individuals who hire an experienced Personal Injury attorney generally fare better in terms of the awarded settlement, in that they are very skilled at negotiating and have an understanding of how to deal with insurance companies. The insurance company still wishes to reduce your settlement, and convincing you to go the road alone is one way of achieving this.
They ask you for copies of all of your medical records.
While this request doesn’t seem too suspicious or unreasonable, insurance companies often request all of your medical records in an effort to locate a pre-existing medical condition upon which they can pin your injuries, etc. and use this to leverage against your financial recovery.
They offer you a deal.
Many insurance companies will ask you to sign a release and then offer to pay you for doing so. However, since many injuries go undiscovered until weeks or even months after an accident, signing a release can be harmful in that you are no longer able to receive payments stemming from any new medical expenses. You may, therefore, be selling yourself short.
They stall – and stall.
One of the most common frustrations that many policyholders have with their insurance companies is that they take their good old time after you file a claim. When you try to follow up with them you may often be told that your paperwork is still processing, or that they are waiting on just about anything before they can move forward with your claim. This is actually a tactic that they use in the hopes that you will eventually just give up your pursuit. Unfortunately, it often works.
They try to make medical decisions – without a license.
In an effort to minimize your recovery, insurance companies may tell you that some of the medical treatments that you incurred after your accident were unnecessary and that they refuse to pay for them because of this. However. It is important to remember that your insurance company does not have a medical license – your physician does. It is the job of your doctors to make these decisions.
Arizona Lawyers Can Help
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, you should not have to pay the price for someone else’s negligence or recklessness. The experienced Arizona personal injury attorneys at Arizona Lawyers understand how to deal with insurance companies’ tricks and will fight to get you the results you deserve. To learn more or to schedule a free consultation, contact us today!