Tactics Used by Insurance Claim Adjusters in Car Accidents
If you’ve been injured in a motor vehicle collision, you more than likely have suffered tremendous losses. The at-fault party—or, more likely, his or her insurance company—should compensate you for these damages.
You’ll likely need to file a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company to get your property damage and medical expenses covered. It may seem as easy as filing a claim and getting your settlement shortly thereafter, but unfortunately, insurance companies have a tendency to prioritize their business needs above the needs of claimants.
It’s important that you are aware that the insurance company is not on your side when you file a claim—no matter what insurers say in their ads. Below, we describe some of the strategies you can expect insurance adjusters to use when attempting to reduce the amount they’ll have to settle for.
The Manipulation of Your Statements
Due to comparative negligence laws in Louisiana, those who are partially to blame for an accident can still file a claim against the other involved party, but they will have their awards reduced by the percentage of blame they carry. For example, if you were found to be 20 percent at fault and were awarded a sum of $50,000, you would actually come away with an award of $40,000—20 percent less.
As you can imagine, insurance companies will do whatever they can to place blame on you in order to minimize the amount they’ll need to pay you. One of the ways they get away with this is by manipulating the statements auto accident victims give to them.
The insurance adjusters will ask you to give them a statement regarding how the accident happened from your perspective, all the while picking apart your words and twisting them to make it seem as though you’ve admitted fault or are more to blame than the liable party.
This is why it’s crucial to have a qualified attorney working with you on your case. Your car accident lawyer will have experience dealing with these tactics and won’t allow you to get taken advantage of by money-hungry insurance companies.
Contact a Baton Rouge Car Accident Lawyer
When you’re preparing to go up against the auto insurance company to get the settlement you deserve, speak with an experienced Baton Rouge car accident lawyer at Spencer Calahan Injury Lawyers. We can prevent the insurer from getting away with dishonest and misleading tactics.
Schedule your free claim evaluation today by giving our office a call at 225-387-2323 or completing the quick contact form below.