Things You Should Know About Insurance Companies
If you’ve had a car accident in the past, you already know dealing with an insurance company is not easy. Trying to do it on your own is fraught with anxiety about whether you should be doing more. The problem is, if you were injured in a car accident, you might not be able to approach the seemingly endless list of tasks with the same vigor you normally do. When you took out the auto insurance policy, you may think that the insurer should have your best interests in mind.
Theoretically, that is true, but it doesn’t always seem to work out that way. In addition, you might also have to deal with the at-fault party’s insurer, which is a different story. They were paid to provide coverage for their client and not you. So, they will try to lessen the amount of fault their client is assigned. Let’s look at some of the steps that need to be taken and how you should handle negotiations.
Is Your Insurance Company on Your Side?
Your insurance company, or any insurer for that matter, is not in the habit of losing money. That is to say, they will try to lessen the amount of damage you suffered in the car accident since the more harm you face, the greater the cost.
Also, since you rely on them for property damage for your vehicle, every effort will be made to lessen the amount they must pay. For instance, they might refuse to opt for new replacement parts for your vehicle and choose refurbished parts instead. This might leave you with a newer vehicle sporting older replacement parts – not exactly what you had in mind when you purchased the car.
Dealing With an Insurance Company Adjuster
Insurance company representatives are trained to keep the amount you receive to a minimum. They may even use your own explanation of what happened against you. They often do this by lowering the amount of the claim and saving money for their employer. One way to maximize the amount you receive is to retain an experienced personal injury lawyer. For instance, a Susanville car accident lawyer will review your case and make sure all damages are accounted for.
Many times, your auto policy says it will pay for a rental vehicle. This is a good idea since injured parties need a vehicle at their disposal once they are discharged from the hospital since they will more than likely have doctor’s visits and rehabilitative therapy appointments lined up. Unless you are aware of this, you might not receive this policy benefit.
Delays in Paying
The insurer, whether your company or that of the at-fault driver, may try to delay paying the claim. This is an old tactic and not always fair. Individuals may send multiple notices to their insurer requesting prompt payment. Often it is not until an injury lawyer becomes involved that the payment is made.
Challenging Medical Expenses
Your insurer may try to challenge your medical expenses. This behavior is more prominent if you are dealing with the at-fault party’s insurance company. They may even suggest that you are fraudulently claiming you were hurt or lying about the extent of your injuries. To bolster this argument, the insurer may insinuate that the injury was due to a previous accident or injury.
Let’s look at pre-existing conditions for a moment. Since the human body is subject to injury and disease, it is not unusual for a pre-existing condition to exist in the same area as an accident injury. For example, a person may have developed arthritis in the spine long before the accident. The pain may have been under control with the use of OTC medication and other applications done at home, such as heat compresses. However, the accident may not only have caused a serious injury to the vertebra in the area of the arthritic condition such as a slipped disc, but it may also aggravate the pain associated with arthritis.
In order to prove this, it may be necessary to have your personal physician make a declarative statement about this possibility. The insurer may try to discredit the doctor. A personal injury lawyer will challenge this kind of response and show that the prior condition was not causing the person’s pain, the accident was.
Medical Records
If the insurer asks you to release all your medical records, you can refuse. This is usually done so they can see if you have preexisting conditions. Let your personal injury lawyer handle this.
Accepting the Initial Settlement Offer
An insurer will often make a low settlement offer quickly after the car accident. Don’t be fooled by this. They know that you may need the funds since it is likely you are not working full time, if at all. Once you accept the offer, you cannot go back and say that a surgical procedure is needed to make you whole once again. Your lawyer will caution you against doing this and deal with the insurer on your behalf.
Tricking You Into Saying the Accident Was Your Fault
When you first contact the insurance company about the accident, they may feign interest in your well-being. They may even ask how you are feeling that moment. You are not required to answer this, and it is often a trick since most people will say they are fine out of habit. It is better to let your Susanville personal injury attorney call the insurer in your place.
Susanville Personal Injury Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, and I am a Susanville personal injury lawyer. Serious injuries after a car accident mean high payouts for medical care and a loss of income until you can resume working. If you are facing this situation, call me at (530) 392-9400 or (800) 404-5400 for free and friendly advice. You can also reach me online.
I’ve helped many clients in Susanville recover the damages they deserve in car accidents, traumatic injuries, and wrongful deaths.
Learn more about my firm here:
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Photo Attribution: https://pixabay.com/photos/insurance-damage-repair-checklist-539659/
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