When you are injured or have your car damaged in a car accident, you have the right to seek full compensation as a victim. It will help you cover the costs of your medical expenses and getting your vehicle repaired. Since many people are unaware of the extent of their rights, the companies involved try to take advantage of this situation.
Most specifically the insurance company of the party at fault will try to deny your claim by using tactics that would exclude their liability. Knowing about these tactics before can help you avoid them and be prepared for them.
Call You After the Accident
The insurance company might try to call you on the same day or the next day following the accident. It might be a friendly call but they know that you are confused right after the incident. They may even contact you before you have a chance to hire an attorney.
Since you are in a tight spot, the insurance company might try to convince you to drop the charges. Any detail that you discuss with them on a call might be used against you. Make sure to consult a personal injury lawyer before you take any calls from them.
Delay Response to the Claim
Even though they might contact you right after the incident, they will take extra time when responding to the claim. The reason that they want to delay it is so that you get exhausted with the lengthy process.
They might delay it by asking for more details every time you reach out to them. Their goal is to force you to give up on the settlement.
Offer Low Settlement Money
Car accidents tend to be very expensive especially if your vehicle is completely damaged. Moreover, even minor injuries can result in expensive medical care services. It can add up to a big amount that you need to get compensated.
Since the insurance company knows that you need money right away, they will offer a lower settlement. You may feel tempted to take any money offered right away, but it might not be enough to cover the damages that you sustained. So wait for the time until you reach a fair compensation.
Denying Liability
The insurance company will try to deny some or all of the charges to reduce the fine that they have to pay to the victim. They might try to blame you to hold you partially responsible.
It can make you think that you don’t deserve the full compensation. It is best to work with your attorney and find evidence to hold the other party liable.
Question the Reason of your Injuries
The insurance company will most likely rule out the possibility of your injuries as a result of the accident. The only compensation for the damages that you can claim is from the car accident. Knowing this, they will try to convince them that some of the injuries resulted before the accident.
It is important to get checked by a physician right after the accident and get a medical record as evidence.
