Insurance Companies Are Not “On Your Side”
If you think you are in “good hands” with the other driver’s car insurance company after an accident, you’ll be unpleasantly surprised when you learn about the deceptive tactics insurance companies use to keep accident victims like you from getting the money they deserve.
Far from being a “good neighbor” that is “on your side,” the other driver’s insurer will try to play you for a sucker. Insurance companies will manipulate you, pressure you, and cast doubt on your claim as they use every trick in the book to deny any responsibility for your injuries and losses or pay you as little as possible. Once you recognize the motivations and ploys insurers use on vulnerable injury victims, you will know why you should never, ever negotiate with a car insurance company without first speaking with an experienced car accident injury lawyer.
How Car Accident Insurance Claims Work
Understanding how car accident claims and injury lawsuits work is the first step in understanding the deceptive tactics insurance companies use to take advantage of you.
The driver responsible for your accident and your injuries likely has car insurance just as you do, and as required by Colorado law. That insurance policy includes liability coverage designed to compensate other people for any damage caused by the insured driver.
After a car accident, each driver will tell their own insurance company their perspective on the accident and will provide their insurer with the other driver’s name, contact, and insurance information (which is why you need to get that information right after an accident).
Lawyers hired by the other driver’s car insurance company will represent that driver and handle all matters related to your claim. If you intend to seek compensation for your injuries from the other driver either through negotiation or a lawsuit, any money that winds up in your pocket comes from the insurer, not the driver.
Insurance Companies Are Only Interested In Their Bottom Line – Not Yours
Never forget that car insurance companies are in the business of making money. Every dollar an insurer pays out in claims to a car accident injury victim is a dollar that reduces their profits. That’s why the insurance company of the negligent driver wants to pay you as little as possible. And the lawyers for that insurance company will do everything they can to make that happen. This includes taking advantage of the difficult financial situation you may find yourself in after an accident.
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Insurers Know You Need Money Now
After your accident, the lawyers representing the other driver’s insurance company will try to settle your case as quickly as they can by making you an offer far lower than what you deserve or what you could get at trial. Those corporate lawyers are well aware that you have bills you need to pay and wages you aren’t earning as you recover from your injuries, and know that any offer of quick cash can be very tempting. Cashing in on your vulnerable financial state is a standard deceptive tactic insurance company corporate lawyers use to get you to settle.
Insurance Companies Count On You Not Knowing Your Rights
The insurer also knows that you may not fully understand your rights or that you may trust them to do the right thing. You may not know what your personal injury claim is worth or how strong the case is against the other driver. Exploiting your inexperience is a common deceptive tactic insurance companies use. A settlement offer of $10,000 may seem like a lot of money in the abstract, but if the other driver was clearly negligent and the amount of damages you could recover for your losses is closer to $100,000, you are getting played.
Insurers Will Cast Doubt On Your Injuries Or Blame You
The insurer will also try to manipulate you and convince you that you either don’t have a valid claim or that your lawsuit is worth pennies. Insurance companies may try to get you to make a statement or admission which could hurt any personal injury suit you may want to file. They’ll question the legitimacy or extent of your injuries, and may even ask you to hand over your medical records to look for any prior injuries or incidents that could be the cause of your losses rather than their driver’s negligence.
Insurance Companies And Their Lawyers Negotiate Settlements Every Day. You Don’t.
The insurer knows that all of these things mean that they have a good chance of resolving your claim on the cheap. That’s because car insurance companies and the attorneys representing them negotiate insurance settlements every day. Injured drivers do not.
But, the deceptive tactics insurance companies use become far less effective, if not useless, when an insurer knows that they are dealing with an experienced and aggressive personal injury lawyer.
That is because good personal injury lawyers know how to negotiate effectively. Car accident injury lawyers know how insurers work and the ways they try to skirt their obligations. Experienced advocates for car accident victims have the know-how to gather and preserve the necessary evidence and present the strongest possible case to counter the insurer’s efforts to avoid liability for their driver’s negligence.
Don’t Be A Victim Of The Deceptive Tactics Insurance Companies Use. Call King & Beaty Today To Get Every Dollar You Deserve.
You could be costing yourself tens of thousands of dollars if you try to negotiate with a car insurance company determined to pay you as little as possible. The experienced Colorado Springs car accident attorneys at King & Beaty won’t let the insurance company nickel-and-dime you and will work to ensure that you receive the maximum amount of compensation available for your losses. Please contact us today to arrange for your free initial consultation.
