How Insurance Companies Try to Mislead Accident Victims

Posted on behalf of Phillips Law Group on Oct 17, 2019 in Personal Injury

insurance adjuster presenting settlement offer Insurance companies often mislead accident victims about the value of their claim, the information victims need to provide and many other things. They are hoping to find some way to devalue your claim or simply deny it altogether.

You should learn about the common ways that accident victims can be misled by insurance companies to prepare yourself. The experienced Phoenix personal injury lawyers from Phillips Law Group know how to protect accident claims from insurance companies who are out to avoid paying fair compensation.

‘You Will Not Get Anything If You Reject the First Offer’

Sometimes, insurance adjusters will claim that if you reject their first offer you will not receive any compensation. However, it is common for there to be several offers and counteroffers during the claims process.

Insurance companies want you to accept their first offer because it is usually for much less than your claim is worth. They might even go to your home or visit you in the hospital to try to get you to sign their settlement offer. They want you to sign before you have a chance to talk to a lawyer about your claim.

‘You Must Give a Recorded Statement’

Insurance companies also try to convince accident victims to give a recorded statement right away. They may say that this will speed up the claim process. However, insurance adjusters often use recorded statements for the purpose of:

Discrediting your report of how the accident occurred
Minimizing your injuries
Blaming all or part of the accident on you

It is generally best to avoid giving any recorded statement until you have spoken with a personal injury lawyer about when to provide such a statement and what it should say.

‘They Want You to Receive Full Compensation’

Insurance adjusters will try to act like your friend and pretend that they want you to receive full compensation. However, their goal is to minimize the value of your claim as much as possible. They may lie about the type of coverage you have to try to avoid providing fair compensation.

‘Your Injuries Are Not Severe Enough’

Insurance adjusters might try to claim that your injuries are not serious enough to warrant compensation. They may say that you only have a soft-tissue injury and that you cannot be compensated for it. However, even so-called “minor” injuries can result in extensive medical expenses, several days of missed work, and pain and suffering that may qualify for compensation.

‘Lawyers Will Take Most of Your Settlement’

The insurance adjuster may go so far as to try to convince you that you do not need a lawyer. He or she may try to talk you into accepting a settlement without contacting a lawyer by claiming that your lawyer will try to take most of your settlement.

However, personal injury lawyers work on a contingency-fee basis, meaning they do not get paid unless they win your case. Additionally, state laws dictate how much lawyers can receive from a settlement. Personal injury victims who hire lawyers to represent their claims often receive higher settlements than those who are not represented by a lawyer.

Contact a Lawyer to Level the Playing Field

If you were injured in an accident and have been contacted by an insurance adjuster, do not hesitate in contacting an experienced personal injury attorney from Phillips Law Group. We can handle communications with the insurance company and advocate for your interests.

We charge no upfront fees and work on a contingency fee basis, so you are charged nothing unless we recover compensation on your behalf.