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How Insurance Companies Can Harm Your Claim

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Published: 17Jan2011
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Remember that the insurance company, whether your own or the party responsible for your accident, is first and foremost a business that's looking out for its own interests first. No matter how sympathetic and concerned they may seem to your injuries and financial burdens, they are still going to try to settle your personal injury claim for the least amount of money they can get away with.

You and the Insurance Company Claims Adjusters

The insurance company employs claims adjusters who are specially trained to evaluate your personal injury claim and negotiate a settlement. They go through weeks of training on how to handle correspondence with accident victims just like you. Everything from interview tactics to how to coerce you into making your personal injury claim sound more of your fault than it really was.

The claims adjusters at the insurance company are trained to get you to damage your personal injury claim in any way possible. The methods are disguised by friendly chit-chat, misleading questions, and pressure tactics. For example, during a "routine" recorded statement, the claims adjuster may casually start a conversation about your hobbies, leading to you talking about your daily jogs. But if your injury claims include back pain, they can use that statement as evidence that your injuries aren't as severe as you claim.

They never ask you if you still jog after the accident, they only point out that you jog and therefore your back pain must not be that severe. Recorded statements are never required to settle a personal injury claim and you should discuss the matter with a personal injury attorney first before submitting to one.

Insurance Company Settlement Offers

If the insurance company doesn't deny your personal injury claim outright, they will often offer an immediate settlement amount. Once they have the basic facts and figures in their hands, they will assess an inadequate amount to offer you in the hopes that you are desperate enough to accept it. They bank on the fact that your medical bills are piling up, you are most likely out of work while recovering, and need cash fast.

The initial settlement in a personal injury claim is almost always far removed from the amount you are truly entitled to. A good settlement offer will account for:

• your current medical expenses;

• the wages you have lost since the accident;

• pain and suffering from the injuries;

• estimated future medical expenses;

• long-term needs if your injuries are permanently disabling; and

• future wage losses if injury is prolonged or causes you to be permanently disabled.

A typical initial settlement offer will only address some of your medical expenses, and may account for some wage losses, but rarely will it give you financial support for issues you may face in the future.

Before corresponding with the insurance company you should contact a personal injury attorney to discuss your personal injury claim. An experienced attorney can help you avoid damaging your claim, as well as evaluate the fairness of a settlement offered to you.

Ben Glass is a personal injury attorney in Fairfax, Virginia. He is a frequent speaker on personal injury topics. Accident victims can download 31 Tips for Handling Your Own Virginia Accident Case at 31TipsFromBen.com

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