Car accidents are terrible, and there’s always a possibility of suffering injuries that require extensive medical treatment. It especially hurts even more if the accident happened due to the other party’s negligence, causing you pain, suffering, trauma, and hefty medical bills. But you got insurance, right? Well, the sad reality is insurance companies are not always ready to pay you the compensation you rightfully deserve. That’s why hiring an Idaho personal injury lawyer or firm to handle your claim is the right choice.
The sad reality of insurance companies
We’ve all got insurance. We like to think that they’ll provide financial security during an unfortunate event, which is why we pay premiums year after year. Sometimes, we often like to brag to our friends about the enormous amounts of coverage our insurance policy promises us. However, the truth is that insurance companies try their best to avoid paying compensation to ‘pad their own pockets.’
Sometimes, they’ll resort to playing games in order to frustrate you, delay the payment, minimize your losses or avoid paying altogether. To make the most out of your personal injury claim, understanding the real intention of insurance providers is crucial! That’s where injury lawyers can come in and take control, doing their very best to ensure your claim is not jeopardized or put on hold.
Tricks played by insurance companies
- Pretending to be on your side
If you’ve been in an accident, be confident you’ll receive a call from an insurance adjuster. While they might sound friendly and sympathetic, please remember that their job is to make you feel comfortable and give up information. Precious information that’ll give the insurance company the ammunition they need to minimize or avoid your claim. Avoid engaging in a personal conversation with the adjuster and direct them to your attorney regarding information.
- Offer a quick solution
Like all businesses, insurance companies want to minimize their losses. And they often do that by offering to settle your claim as fast as possible for a much lower amount. During times of distress, accident victims are likely to accept such lowball amounts if they’re desperate or don’t know the actual potential value of their settlement claim. Know that you’re being played if you get the slightest hint of being rushed by the insurance adjuster.
Another reason you need an injury lawyer is because they can help you estimate the total claim value and negotiate to get you that amount. They’ll fight on your behalf to get what you’re rightfully owed.
- Cut off communication
If an insurance company gets to know about your desperate economic situation, be sure that they’ll be looking to take advantage. In order to frustrate you, they will make it hard for you to contact them. They’ll either not receive calls, answer emails, or simply say that the person who’s supposed to handle your claim is not available for some reason.
The insurance provider’s goal here is to make you desperate enough to the point where you’ll gladly take any offer they throw at you just to stay alive. If you’re thinking, “Oh, that’s very low; my insurance company won’t do that,” then you don’t know what they’re capable of.
- Ask you to sign documents
If you come in contact with your insurance adjuster, they’ll quickly present you with a list of documents to sign. They might even come to visit you at the medical facility, wish you well and ask you to sign some forms or witness statements for the sake of “speeding up” the recovery process. In reality, though, signing these documents will cause more harm than good when it comes to getting your deserved compensation.
If the insurance company asks you to sign anything– don’t! Consult your attorney first to ensure there are no hidden motives behind getting those signatures. You have every right to deny meeting or signing anything if you don’t want to.
- Deny your claim
If everything fails, an insurance company might take the route of denying your claims citing various reasons. If they know you don’t have legal representation, they might pull this trick to discourage you from contesting their decision. However, a capable lawyer should be able to bring the negotiations back on the table by reviewing your claims and the reasons the company has for denying them.
Legal battles with insurance companies are not easy, but the right lawyer is ready to even go to trial to protect your rights. So, hiring a lawyer as early as possible after the accident is the safest choice you can make.
Injury lawyers are always one step ahead
With many years of experience under their belt, injury lawyers know the usual tricks played by insurance companies to weasel out of paying up. That’s why they can take proactive measures to keep you one step ahead in the game, at all times. Even though most personal injury cases are settled out of court, there’s always a slim chance of it going to trial if the insurance adjusters decide to push their luck.
In court, you definitely need someone experienced to present your side of the story to the jury. Otherwise, the defense team and the lawyers representing the insurance company will be able to easily twist your words and make you look like the one who caused the accident. Or at least convince the jury that you do not deserve the settlement amount you’re claiming.
By staying one step ahead with a personal injury lawyer, you get the chance to be heard and present evidence. A good lawyer will also be able to bring in certain witnesses, medical professionals, and other experts who testify about the damages you sustained. A car accident is a traumatic experience for everyone, so it’s only normal to expect that you’re fairly treated in a court of law.
So, contact an injury lawyer near you if you haven’t already because the clock is ticking.
