There are many common tactics used by aggressive insurance adjusters after a car accident, ranging from deception to manipulation and intimidation. An attorney can help to combat these tactics by relying on objective evidence and remaining steadfast during settlement calculations.
Insurance companies can be intimidating—an attorney can protect you. Focus on your recovery while your legal team deals with aggressive insurance adjusters.
Specific Tactics Insurance Adjusters Use to Save Their Employers Money
Insurance companies vow to protect their policyholders and injury victims. Yet, insurance adjusters have a clear financial motivation to withhold compensation, as this is how insurance companies maximize their profits.
In order to withhold compensation, aggressive insurance adjusters may:
Deny Your Claim Outright
If an insurance company can justify paying you nothing, it will. Some insurers may even unjustly deny a claim, perhaps by arguing that:
- Its policy does not cover the specific type of accident you were involved in
- You caused your accident, and therefore are not entitled to the compensation you seek
- Other circumstances warrant the denial of your claim
Denying your claim may be nothing more than a tactic. The insurance company may know it is financially responsible for your losses but may hope that you’ll accept the denial without a fight. Don’t fall for it; let our team hold the insurance company accountable.
Contest Specific Losses
If an insurance company knows it is financially responsible for your losses, it may try to whittle down its settlement as much as possible. This could lead the insurer to deny specific claims, again hoping that you won’t contest their denial of certain losses.
Pressure You Into Making a Recorded Statement
It may be in the insurance company’s interest to have you make a recorded statement when you are:
- Confused
- Tired
- Not thinking clearly
- Not fully focused
- In any other compromised state
If an insurance adjuster can have you admit fault, cast doubt on your own recollection of the accident, misspeak, or misremember, it could play into the insurance company’s financial interests. It’s not advisable to make a recorded statement until you’ve spoken with an attorney.
Steer Your Conversation in a Direction That Benefits the Insurer
Once you agree to make a recorded statement, the insurance adjuster may steer the conversation in a certain direction. They may ask leading questions, word questions to be deliberately confusing, and set you up to fail in other ways.
Lie About Your Policy
Insurance companies are well-versed in their policies. When you find that an insurance company has misled you about your policy (and specifically the coverage you are entitled to), you can be reasonably certain it misled you on purpose.
You would be surprised at the tactics we have seen from aggressive insurance adjusters. You must protect yourself from the most disconcerting attempts to deprive you of fair compensation.
Offer a Lowball Settlement
The National Safety Council (NSC) explains that severe accidents cost hundreds of thousands of dollars (or even millions) in economic costs alone. This does not account for the individual personal toll of an accident, such as physical pain and emotional anguish.
Therefore, if an insurer can convince you to accept a cheap settlement, it may stand to save tens of thousands of dollars (or more).
Pressure You to Accept the Settlement
Once an insurance company offers a settlement, it may pressure you to accept that settlement. Pressure tactics may include:
- Implying or stating outright that the settlement offer is the best it will provide
- Indicating that there is a deadline for accepting a settlement
- Indicating that, if you do not accept the settlement, you will get no compensation
Do not submit to these tactics. You deserve a fair settlement that covers your accident-related damages, and you should not settle for anything less.
Discourage You from Hiring an Attorney
This tactic is extremely inappropriate, unprofessional, and unethical. Yet, it’s a tactic we have seen from adjusters. Insurance companies know that experienced attorneys can hold them accountable, and would rather negotiate with you directly.
Let yourself rest and recover free of insurance companies’ bothersome tactics. An attorney can fight for the money you’re entitled to.
Protect Yourself from These Aggressive Tactics by Hiring a Lawyer
Many car accident victims are unfamiliar with insurance companies. They may not even recognize when an insurance company is trying to take advantage of them. Affected by injuries and occupied with new and unexpected responsibilities, you may be vulnerable to insurance adjusters’ aggressive tactics.
By hiring a lawyer from our team, you would be able to:
- Rely on a legal team that knows every possible tactic an insurance adjuster may use against you
- Prevent the insurance company from contacting you directly, adding a layer of protection that could prevent you from saying anything damaging
- Prioritize your physical and mental health, as the stress of a car accident claim can be immensely harmful to your long-term health and recovery
- Get the help of a proven law firm that has secured many fair settlements from insurance companies
When you consider the stakes of a car accident claim (or lawsuit), hiring a qualified attorney is a much easier decision to make.
How an Attorney Will Fight for You
An attorney will lead your claim or lawsuit from start to finish by:
- Securing and organizing all relevant evidence
- Documenting each of your accident-related damages
- Determining exactly how much money you deserve from insurers
- Advising you about whether to pursue a lawsuit
- Completing all case-related paperwork
- Leading settlement negotiations
- Taking your case to trial, if necessary
With an attorney from Loncar Lyon Jenkins, you get a legal advisor, a protector, and someone who will fight for your best interests (and your money).
Call Loncar Lyon Jenkins Today for a Free Consultation About Your Car Accident Case
When you are injured in a car accident, call in the Strong Arm. Our attorneys have decades of experience, and we demand that insurance companies pay our clients the money they deserve.
Call Loncar Lyon Jenkins today for a free consultation. There is no cost and no obligation to consult with our firm, so don’t wait to contact us.
