Insurance Adjuster Tactics After a Car Accident

Even if you’ve never missed a single insurance payment, you may struggle to recover fair financial compensation during a car insurance claim in Colorado. Despite advertising that they are on your side, insurance companies are actually for-profit businesses that put their own interests first. Being aware of common insurance adjuster tactics used to underpay and deny claims can help you protect your rights after a car accident in Denver.

Convincing You to Trust Them

Insurance companies are very good at minimizing the payouts they make to claimants and policyholders. They do this by acting like a friend during the claims process. Do not be fooled by a polite or friendly insurance claims adjuster, meaning the person assigned to handle your case; above all else, adjusters work for the insurance company. Their main goal is to save the insurer as much money as possible on your claim.

Asking for a Recorded Statement

An insurance claims adjuster will ask you to give a recorded statement about the car accident or your injuries early on – before you have a lawyer and understand all the details about the crash. This is intentional; they want you to say something that can be twisted around and used against you later, such as an unintentional admission of guilt. Avoid being painted as an unreliable witness by politely declining to give a recorded statement.

Requesting Access to Your Medical Records

Although some medical records will be necessary to process a car accident claim, it is in your best interest not to sign a broad Medical Authorization Release Form or anything similar sent to you by an insurer. This is often a tactic used to peruse your full medical history to search for reasons to deny your claim, such as pre-existing injuries or medical conditions.

Offering a Quick Settlement

Insurance companies rely on the fact that most car accident victims are in difficult situations and eager to resolve their claims. They take advantage of this by offering quick, lowball settlements. Rather than jumping to accept the first settlement offer, submit a counteroffer and continue negotiating until you are fully compensated for your car accident losses.

Delaying Your Claim

Intentional claim delays are meant to frustrate you to the point that you either give up on the claim or accept a low settlement offer. Unreasonable delays, such as delaying an investigation without proper cause, could be a sign of insurance bad faith: a wrongful act by the insurance company that could lead to an additional lawsuit against the provider.

Disputing Liability

Insurance companies often try to blame others rather than accept liability for a car accident. The insurer may try to place fault on you, for example, or get into a lengthy liability dispute with another car insurance provider. This could lead to a wrongful claim denial, reduced settlement offer or unnecessary delays.

How Can a Car Accident Attorney Help?

Protect your legal rights as much as possible as a car accident victim in Colorado by hiring an experienced auto accident attorney in Denver to represent you during the recovery process. Your lawyer will know how to communicate and negotiate with insurance claims adjusters to achieve the best possible results on your behalf. 

If an insurance company attempts to dissuade you from hiring a lawyer, it is even more important to contact one, as you may be at risk of settling for less than you deserve. At Fang Accident Lawyers, we offer free consultations, where we can discuss your car accident case in detail at no cost or obligation. Call us at (303) 710-8623 today.