We often live hoping for the best and dreading the worst. Unfortunately, no matter how wishful you are in your thinking, bad things can still happen. This is why it is important to prepare in advance and take precautions so you won’t suffer the consequences. One of the best ways to do that is by taking out the necessary insurance policies so you can get coverage in case you suffer health complications or a car accident. Unfortunately, even doing so doesn’t ensure smooth sailing, because insurance companies don’t always play fair. In fact, they often try to minimize payouts. Here is how you can spot tactics used by insurance companies to minimize payouts:
Fishing for a Statement
This is one of the most commonly used tactics by insurance companies, and, unfortunately, it works. It is very common for the other party’s insurance adjuster to reach out to you very shortly after an incident and try fishing for a statement. They want to take advantage of you being disoriented, both physically and emotionally. Some even reach out to you on the same day as the accident! They’d act pretty friendly and tell you not to worry, but you should. They would try to have you reveal information that might be used against you in one way or the other. You need to be extremely cautious here, because the at-fault party’s insurance adjuster is not your friend, and their interests go against yours. So, be very careful and don’t let your guard down.
Also, they might ask you to give a recorded statement, which you should avoid at all costs. You might be thinking they want your statement so they can fairly compensate you for your bills and emotional troubles, but they want it to take out anything that can be used against you later on. So, never give such statements without a lawyer. Always remember the insurance adjuster wants to minimize payouts by their company, and they will do anything to do that, including tricking you.
Recommending to File the Claim without a Lawyer
Yes, a lot of insurance adjusters would recommend you make the claim without a lawyer, because they know legal help can get you a bigger payout. The insurance company would definitely rather deal with regular people who don’t know the laws and regulations in such cases. This is exactly why you need to enlist the help of a qualified law firm because their team will know how to handle such cases where insurers deal in bad faith. They would have the necessary experience to go for the maximum payout for their clients, and they know how to take on insurance companies. So, if you want to make an insurance claim, always enlist the help of attorneys, especially if the other company is dealing in bad faith.
Requesting Medical Authorization Signature
Another shady tactic used by insurance companies in personal injury cases is asking the claimant to sign a medical authorization. It is usually not limited to a certain time or scope, which means they can use it freely. You think they’d use it to find out your medical bills after the recent incident, but they’d actually use it to dig deep into your medical history. They want to find any records of previous injuries or pains, in an attempt to prove that the incident in the claim was not responsible for your pain. Needless to say, this can destroy your entire claim. So, never sign any documents, and always consult with your attorney before signing anything.
Stretching the Case
While insurance claims might take a while, they shouldn’t last forever. There is a statute of limitations on a case, and insurance adjusters often try to stretch the case as long as possible until that time comes and you have no legal claim to compensation. This is why it is crucial that you hire an attorney in such claims. They will know that insurance companies
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