Tactics Car Insurance Companies Use to Devalue or Deny Valid Claims

If you were injured in a car accident caused by someone else’s carelessness, you may be entitled to compensation for your lost wages, medical expenses, and car repairs, but you shouldn’t expect the insurance company to make things easy for you. Insurance companies are for-profit companies. Their adjusters are there to protect their interests. They will try to devalue or deny valid claims by using tactics such as:

Calling You Soon After an Accident

An insurance company representative may reach out to you soon after you report the accident. They may try to get you to say that you were not injured, not seriously injured, or were at fault for the accident before you have a chance to investigate the accident and find out how it really happened. They will then use these admissions to later deny your claim.

Asking for a Recorded Statement

Insurance company representatives are trained to employ tactics to decrease the value of a claim or make it possible for the insurance company to outright deny claims. One of the most common tactics is to get accident victims to give a recorded statement. These statements are used against you in the following ways:

• Taking your expression of “I’m fine” as an admission that you were not injured
• Getting you to agree that it was good you were not seriously injured to devalue your claim
• Asking for specific details about your injuries when you don’t yet know the extent of your injuries to later claim you were not seriously injured
• Making pointed questions during a recorded interview in an attempt to get you to take responsibility for the accident

Making a Quick Settlement Offer

You might think that it’s a good sign when the insurance company makes a quick settlement offer. You might be anxious to pay off your medical bills and make up your lost income. However, quick settlements are often lowball offers that insurance adjusters throw out in hopes that you will settle your claim before you consult with an attorney and learn the real value of your claim. Once you accept the offer, you’ll be asked to sign a release form, and you’ll forfeit your right to pursue additional compensation.

Asking for a Medical Release

An insurance company representative might ask you to sign a medical release form. They may state that this is to help them get the medical records they need to process your claim. However, this authorization will likely be more extensive than necessary so that the insurance company can get other medical records for past injuries you have so that they can blame your injuries on that incident and deny your claim.

Blaming You for the Accident

The insurance company may outright try to blame you for the accident, even when there is no basis for this claim. They hope you will simply accept their finding and not fight back.

Telling You Not to Hire a Car Accident Lawyer

The insurance adjuster may go so far as to say you’ll be better off if you don’t hire a car accident lawyer. They say this because they don’t want you to know your rights or how much your case is worth. Don’t follow their advice. Instead, reach out to a St. Louis car accident attorney from Miller & Hine for a free case review by calling (314) 408-5708 or contacting us online.