3 Tactics Insurers May Use Against You After a Car Crash

 Posted on July 30, 2024 in Car Accidents

If you file a claim with an insurance company after a car accident, you may not realize that your goal and the insurance company’s goal are in direct opposition. Your goal is to collect as much compensation for damages as possible, while the company’s goal is to pay you as little as possible. Insurers have become very skilled at finding any reason to reduce your payout or not to pay you at all. They have developed clever tactics to do this, which this article will discuss.

Hiring an Illinois car accident lawyer is the best way to make sure you walk away with the most compensation possible. Once you retain legal representation, the insurance company is forced to negotiate with your attorney.

Here are three tactics commonly used by insurance companies to reduce your compensation after a car accident.

Private Investigators

Insurance companies sometimes hire private investigators to follow personal injury victims and conduct surveillance on their activities. The aim is to find out if the victim’s claims are true. The process works as follows:

• The private investigator gathers evidence about the claimant, such as taking photos of him or her.

• The private investigator then passes the evidence to the insurance team.

• The company’s investigators pore through the evidence and look for anything that might suggest the claimant’s injuries are less serious than they are.

This tactic can hurt your claim even if you are telling the truth. Suppose, for example, that you injured your back. A couple of days after making your claim, you are walking up your front walk when you drop your keys. Instinctively, you bend down to pick them up, forgetting that your back is injured. The movement causes you pain, but that pain is not evident in the private investigator’s photo of you bending down.

Recorded Statements

Insurance claim adjusters often ask claimants to give a recorded statement about the accident. On its face, there is nothing wrong with asking for a recorded statement. To the claimant, it even makes sense: after all, the insurance company needs to know the facts if it will offer a settlement.

However, the recorded statement is also used as evidence against you. The insurance adjuster is trained to ask questions in a way that can elicit an admission from you. The company’s investigators will go through your words with a fine-toothed comb afterward, looking for any detail that can unravel your claim.

Medical Releases

Another tactic insurance companies use against claimants is asking them to sign a medical release. This, too, seems perfectly reasonable: the insurance company needs to know the extent of your injuries to compensate you for them.

However, insurance companies usually ask for a general release. Once you sign this, the company’s investigators can view your entire medical history. They will use this to look for any pre-existing conditions or previous injuries that they can claim contributed to your current injury, thereby reducing your settlement.

Contact a Peoria, IL Car Accident Attorney

Hiring a Springfield, IL car accident lawyer can protect you from these tactics. Your attorney will review your legal options with you, such as your right to decline to give a recorded statement and your right to only release certain medical information. At Kanoski Bresney, we will vigorously defend your rights and aggressively pursue the most compensation possible. Schedule a free consultation with an experienced attorney today by calling 888-826-8682.