Read about these common insurance company tactics

Most people think they will be treated fairly by their auto insurance company. But this doesn’t happen as much as we might want, despite the insurance industry spending hundreds of millions of dollars on television commercials. In fact, thanks to an array of insurance company tactics designed to keep money in the insurance industry’s pocket at the expense of your own, people need to be cautious and not automatically accept what a claims adjuster says after an automobile accident. In states without strong bad faith laws or consumer protection laws, an insurance adjuster can even lie to an insured person about what benefits they are entitled to – and get away with it.
Below are five common insurance company tactics to keep in mind after a car accident:

1. Delay: Time is NOT on your side. Many states have very strict statute of limitations periods for car accidents. For example, Alabama has a two-year deadline from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit. If you are a consumer, the best advice I can ever give is to verify what the adjuster is saying to you with an experienced lawyer to make sure you are getting everything you to which you are entitled and do not risk allowing the statute of limitations to lapse.
2. The adjuster shuffle: It’s not a dance, it’s when your claims file gets “re-assigned” very close to the one year deadline to file for your No Fault insurance benefits. Sometimes the “new” adjuster says she needs more time, or she is waiting for the file to be transferred, or that documents have been “misplaced.” Again, this is often nothing more than a stall tactic. The adjusters are counting the days until you lose all right to reimbursement or compensation. Don’t fall victim to the adjuster shuffle!
3. Attempting to settle your injury case: Many insurance claims adjusters, especially on the pain and suffering side, will try to talk to you shortly after an auto accident and offer you very small amounts of money to settle your case. Many people are still in shock and unable to think clearly about their legal rights, or have yet to fully understand how bad the injuries will turn out to be. These adjusters will call you and ring your door bell and visit you in hospital rooms, trying to get you to settle your case for what can often be pennies on the dollar. When you have suffered any injury, you almost always will be entitled to far more for your pain and suffering and your medical benefits than what the insurance company is trying to get you to sign away in the days or weeks after a car accident. Am I biased because I am an injury lawyer? According to the insurance industry’s own study, a claimant (insurance industry speak for a person) injured in an auto accident receives on average four times more money than a claimant who is not represented by a lawyer.
4. Asking questions and recording you: Often, “examinations under oath (EUOs)” are used by defense attorneys to take advantage of someone who does not have a lawyer. In this situation, questions are asked that have no relevance to the claim at hand. The real reason for these interviews is to tank the potential third-party tort lawsuit by asking lots of liability questions about how the accident happened while someone is still unrepresented and without a lawyer to defend and protect them. Because EUOs are recorded, they can be used against you in any case, even a completely different case by another insurance company. Please, never give a recorded statement to anyone, including your own insurance company, without contacting an experienced accident attorney first.
5. Sign here: Many auto accident victims rush into signing insurance adjusters’ documents without having the release language reviewed by an experienced car accident lawyer. In doing so, they may lose their rights to sue a negligent driver for accident-related injuries, or to receive critical No-Fault insurance benefits from their own insurance company. If a claims adjuster wants you to sign a release or contract or other important document right away, tell the adjuster that you need to review the paperwork with a lawyer first. Remember, most injury lawyers will not charge for an initial consultation. Many lawyers will also offer free legal advice, or can give you valuable books that explain what compensation you’re entitled. It can’t hurt to have your questions answered by an attorney and learn about how to protect yourself against these dangerous auto insurance company tactics.

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