In some personal injury cases, insurance claims can be made to provide compensation for the injured party. However, the claims adjusters and lawyers representing the insurance company look for ways to avoid payouts. Attorneys recommend that any victim of a personal injury should refrain from speaking to the insurers or other parties.
Avoiding Unintentional Settlements
A malicious tactic insurers use to avoid payouts and higher settlements is to contact the victim to get the person to agree to an offer. If the insurer talks to the victim about any exchange of money for the injuries, medical costs, or any financial losses, the company uses anything the claimant says to show the individual has entered into an agreement out of court. The offers are often lower than average and far less than what the claimant needs. Victims of personal injuries who are looking for a lawyer get started by contacting a local attorney.
Preventing The Other Side From Getting Harmful Information
The insurers try to get as much information from claimants as possible to discredit the allegations against the defendant. A common strategy is to tell the victim the insurer is on the person’s side and just looking out for their best interests.
In reality, the insurer is trying to get any details that present the victim negatively or show the person played a role in causing their own injuries. If the victim was injured on the job, for instance, the insurer tries to determine if the worker violated a company policy. If the victim slips and confirms any damaging details, the insurer can avoid a payout and get the case thrown out.
Getting What the Plaintiff Deserves
The most appropriate strategy for a victim of a personal injury that wasn’t their fault is to speak only to an attorney and avoid answering the phone if any other parties call them. This prevents issues where anyone can manipulate the victim and use the victim’s words and statements against them to discredit the claim.
Claimants May Not Understand All Questions
If the claimant speaks to the insurer, there are questions agents often ask that could become a bit confusing for the victim. To avoid these problems, the claimant tells any party that contacts them to speak to the attorney. The lawyers understand possible questions the insurers could ask and know what answers to provide.
Stop the Defendant From Presenting Low-Ball Settlements
Attorneys negotiate with insurance companies all the time and know what the insurers accomplish if the victim provides too much information. A victim that answers the question, “How are you feeling?” in a positive and upbeat way could be misrepresented by the insurer, and the insurer could attempt to say that the victim isn’t suffering, in pain, or doesn’t have an injury worthy of compensation.
The tricks the insurers use to find loopholes for eliminating payouts and opening the door to comparative fault rulings confuse victims and make them feel misled. If the insurer proves the claimant caused their own injuries, the court reduces any monetary awards.
Insurance companies use shrewd tactics to avoid payouts for personal injuries. The top strategy is to talk to the claimant and get information to discredit the claim or get the plaintiff to agree to a low settlement offer. By hiring a personal injury attorney, victims have a viable chance to collect fair compensation.