Auto Insurance Company Tactics

Being in an auto accident and dealing with the aftermath is a very stressful time, especially if injuries are involved. Often, you will have to rely heavily on your insurance company to help with your property repair expenses and/or medical expenses. But what if your insurance company is offering a settlement that seems much too low? Many times unscrupulous insurance companies try to take advantage of customers who are in need of immediate settlements for property damage. Often, the goal of an insurance company is to pay the least amount of money possible. The insurance company is in the business to make money, not pay it to a claimant. In essence, the insurance company always tries to maximize profits. Even though the insurance company is supposed to be there to assist you in your time of need that often does not occur.

Our firm often sees an insurance company offer what is commonly called a low ball amount. Low balling means the insurance company has intentionally undervalued your claim and has offered you much less compensation than what you might be entitled to in court. This can be very profitable for an insurance company if the claimant accepts the offer. Many times claimants will accept such an offer because they trust the insurance company is on their side and is looking out for their best interest. Claimants should expect an undervalued offer, but unfortunately that is the reality in many cases.

Do you think you have been offered a low ball settlement offer by an insurance company? Contact our lawyers today for a consultation.

Another commonly used tactic by insurance companies is claims denial. The insurance company may simply deny the claim, hoping you will forego any further attempts to make a claim, thereby again maximizing their own profits. Often if a claimant challenges the insurance company they will respond with another low ball offer. Once again, a trusting claimant may not question the insurance company’s intent and be left without a reasonable alternative. Don’t let this happen to you. If you feel you have been unjustly denied a claim, ask for a written statement of the reasons your claim has been denied so that you can be properly prepared to respond to each allegation.

Delaying your claim is another tactic of many insurance companies. The theory behind is that the longer the process takes and the longer you have to wait, you will eventually either just forego the claim or accept less than it is otherwise worth.

Insurance companies have accident investigators on call 24 hours a day. These investigators employed by the insurance company are trained to collect evidence that shows the negligent driver in a more positive light and the claimant is a less positive light. We recommend that you not discuss your case with any insurance company investigator or adjuster without first consulting with one of our attorneys. Moreover, an attorney should always be present whenever you do talk to an insurance company investigator or adjuster to protect your interests.

Get help dealing with the insurance companies! Contact our firm today to have our lawyers fight for you.

You really need to hire an attorney to act on your behalf to get the maximum settlement you are entitled to. Documentation of the accident (including witness accounts and determination of liability), damage caused to your property and documentation of your medical expenses will be very helpful in determining how much money you are entitled to, and a useful tool in deciding whether or not the insurance company is acting in bad faith.

Unfortunately, you should assume that any settlement an insurance company offers you is too low. Consider it a starting point and then contact a lawyer to help you. The insurance company will try to offer you something before you go to an attorney, hoping they can convince you that you do not need an attorney. Do not fall for that tactic. An attorney usually can get you much more than an insurance company will offer you.

The insurance companies are not your friend. Contact our attorneys today to help get results!