While you recover from your injuries, there is a great possibility that you will be contacted by an insurance company. The initial contact made by the insurance company may come as a pleasant surprise to you, but keep in mind that every payment made on a personal injury claim reduces the profits of the insurance company.
If you are contacted by an insurance company, you do have the option of referring any questions to your personal injury attorney. Total Lawyers is available to help you get in touch with a personal injury attorney in your area. Just contact us at 877-421-3761 or fill out our free personal injury case evaluation form.
To prepare you for your possible first encounter with an insurance company, we have included some information for you to remember:
A representative from an insurance company may ask you to consent to giving a tape-recorded statement in order to make a payment on your claim. The representative may also request your signature on a form by telling you your signature is required to pay a bill on your behalf. If you decide to cooperate with the requests of the insurance company, keep in mind that it is extremely difficult to enforce these promises if you have not received them in writing. Placing your signature on any form provided by an insurance company without proper legal review could result in diminishing the value of your case. You may want to consider referring all requests to your personal injury attorney.
It is important to remember that the phrase "off the record" generally does not exist with insurance companies. Even the most casual comment you make to an insurance company could reduce your compensation.
Your responses to an insurance representative will be carefully noted and documented. Something as simple as politely saying, "not too bad" to an insurance company representative who says, "How are you feeling today?" can turn up as evidence in your case.
Just as you might have a personal injury attorney protecting your rights, insurance companies also employ lawyers on staff and outside counsel to help them minimize payments to personal injury victims or to avoid payments altogether. Therefore, it can be a risky endeavor to attempt to negotiate with an insurance company on your own. If insurance companies have lawyers looking out for their best interests, wouldn't you want to as well?
Insurance companies deny or underpay claims all the time. The job of the insurance company representative is to find a way to show that their client is not at fault. In addition, a second strategy is to attempt to prove that you didn't sustain any damages, or limit the amount of damages you may collect. They may even try to intimidate or confuse you, so that you unwittingly release valid claims and waive your right to pursue additional compensation. A personal injury attorney can help you protect your claim against insurance company tactics.
A personal injury lawyer in your area should know the tactics insurance companies employ, and can help you pursue your claim.
Learn about your rights and options before making a decision about your next steps.
It's easy to get started by filling out our online free personal injury evaluation form or calling 877-421-3761 to connect with a personal injury lawyer in your area.