Following a car accident, things could seem very unclear. Many accident victims find themselves more vulnerable to manipulation by persons or organizations they think they may trust because they are disoriented from pain and unfamiliar legal procedures.
Unfortunately, insurance firms frequently use this circumstance to deny victims their full entitlement to compensation.
When an accident victim is not being defended by legal counsel, this is especially true. In order to reduce the insurance company’s potential culpability, claims adjusters for the driver whose negligence caused the accident frequently attempt to deceive the accident victims.
The victim may miss out on thousands of dollars they need to recover from the injury while the adjuster is performing the duties for which he or she was engaged.
Top Scams Employed by Insurance Companies to Dupe Car Accident Victims
Claims adjusters and other employees of insurance companies frequently use the following strategies to reduce their exposure to your claim:
- Implying that you’re required to provide a statement.
Insurance agents frequently instruct accident victims to provide a statement right away describing their damages and injuries or inform them that doing so will “speed up the claims process.” The truth is that these people have received extensive training and know how to approach victims in a way that respects their dignity while being firm enough to limit their ability to recover.
The intention is to weaken the victim’s claim by getting them to accept partial fault, downplay their injuries (especially if not all of them have yet shown), or get confused about the circumstances of the accident.
These remarks are frequently taped so that, if required, they can be played back at a later point in the trial to discredit the injury victim.
- Acting as if I’m on your side
Claims adjusters and other insurance staff members enjoy giving the impression that they are going above and above to “close the case” and pay you as much as they can as quickly as they can. Of course, this is just a portion of the talk they have been told to employ to win over accident victims.
One common strategy is to actually send checks for relatively small sums, like the cost of fixing a car, while the injured victim is still getting treatment for their wounds (medical expenses can be significantly more expensive than car repairs).
In order to “ensure they are doing okay” and to “ask if there is anything else they can do,” the adjuster may additionally follow up with the victim. Additional records might be requested so that the insurance provider can “analyze” them.
The true objective is to placate the victim long enough for the statute of limitations to run out. Accident claims must be submitted within three years of the incident in several states to circumvent the statute of limitations.
Small-scale assistance may give sufferers the impression that the insurance company is on their side and will wait patiently for them to fully understand the degree of their injuries, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.
The victim loses the right to file a claim for compensation once the statute of limitations has run out, and the payments from that insurance company will abruptly end.
- On social media
Follow accident victims on social media is a novel strategy in the Internet age. Insurance companies are interested in knowing if you discuss your mishap on social media, especially if you say something that would imply you have some responsibility. The insurance company also wants to know if you seem to be doing things that, given the severity of your injuries, you shouldn’t be able to do.
Photos and videos of you having a good time or engaging in physical activity that should be restricted due to your injuries could damage your claim. Even if there is a legitimate explanation—posing for a posed shot, abusing painkillers excessively, etc.—this is still true.
- Stay savvy
It’s crucial to remain composed, even after an accident. Though it may be alluring to want to believe the insurance company and follow their advice when it comes to resolving your case, it is probably much better to speak with an attorney first.
An attorney can assist you with dealing with the insurance company as well as finding the best medical professionals to treat your injuries and testify persuasively on your behalf. They can also secure the services of experts to help reconstruct your accident and establish unequivocally that the other driver was at fault.
Additionally, a lot of lawyers that focus on accident cases will take your case on a contingency fee basis, which means you won’t have to pay anything up front and will only pay a percentage of the money the lawyer recovers for you if you win. You do not pay if they do not get your payment.
