How Insurance Companies May Try to Devalue Your Louisiana Car Accident Claim

Posted in Car Accidents on June 17, 2020

If you have been injured due to somebody else’s negligence or recklessness, it’s likely that you’ll receive phone calls from insurance companies before too long.

The insurance adjuster you speak to may appear to be very kind, caring and understanding, but you should know that he or she does not want to help you at all. That person is employed by the insurance company and has one job: to do work for that insurance company, protect the corporation’s bottom line, and pay out as little as possible on claim. It is not their fault– but it does not mean you should suffer.

Insurance companies are very, very good at convincing injury survivors to inadvertently shrink their own claims. It is a skill that insurance adjusters spend years perfecting.

The good news is that we can offer some advice. If you’ve found yourself in a position where insurance adjusters are ringing (or will be calling your phone soon), here are some tactics to be aware of in order to protect yourself.

Your Legal Rights Entitle You to Compensation

Victims of personal injury have the right to pursue compensation for damages such as:

• Emergency and continued medical care
• Lost wages and diminished earning capacity
• Pain and suffering
• Physical damages

Five Ways That Insurance Companies Might Try to Devalue Your Car Accident Claim in Louisiana

Calling you way, way too soon (like– you’re still bleeding soon)

Many insurance companies have their adjusters make calls as soon as possible after someone has been injured. This benefits the insurance company because:

• The accident survivor probably still doesn’t know the full extent or nature of their injuries
• The accident survivor may not have been advised to avoid speaking to insurance agencies
• The accident survivor likely has not consulted with a personal injury attorney

If you get a call from an adjuster very soon after your accident, kindly let them know that you’ll reach back out if and when it appears necessary after consulting with medical and legal professionals. Do not give out any information.

Requesting things they shouldn’t have (a statement, medical authorization…)

Did you know that you have zero obligation to provide a statement about your accident or injuries to an opposing insurance adjuster?

If not, we don’t blame you– but insurance companies will probably try to take advantage of you for it.

• Lots of adjusters say that they need a statement to “confirm liability” or make up another similar lie
• Your statement will actually be used to obtain as much information as possible; and, if the insurance company can, it will use that information to devalue your claim in the future

Personal injury law does not require accident survivors to give statements to opposing insurance adjusters. Period.

• You are also likely to receive a piece of mail from the insurance company
• That mail will take the form of a medical authorization; the insurance company will request that you sign the authorization and return it to them

You will never benefit from giving an opposing insurance company medical authorization. They will not use authorization to gather important information about your case (like medical bills or records). Instead, insurance adjusters use this authorization to collect unlimited health information about you.

• If it is possible, insurance companies use this information to minimize payouts; they may try to pinpoint “preexisting” injuries at the time of the crash

Delay tactics

Lots of personal injury cases start to feel like they take much too long. Unfortunately, it’s because they do.

Delay tactics are very common among insurance companies. They know that accident survivors usually face a great deal of uncertainty and stress– bills piling up, more and more time spent out of work, longer amounts of time in pain and unhappy.

Everyone has a breaking point. Some insurance companies try to push accident survivors to theirs so that they’ll agree to paltry settlements. Insurers may delay meritorious claims as long as possible in hopes that injured parties will accept virtually any settlement offer.

Gaslighting survivors about injuries and treatment necessity

Everyone should have a right to medical care when they need it; so when an insurance company hounds you with arguments that your injuries don’t matter or you don’t need treatment, it crosses a line that no one should cross.

Insurance adjusters can and will attempt to use this argument at every opportunity. The best way to avoid being swayed by insurance companies is to seek reliable medical attention as soon as possible. Partner with medical experts to try to determine the nature and prognosis of your injuries early on. This will give you confidence when you speak to adjusters who insist your experiences don’t matter.

Advising you not to seek legal counsel

An insurance company might tell someone that working with a lawyer is a bad idea. Depending on the adjuster, they might spin this in several ways:

• A lawyer is too expensive
• A lawyer can’t be trusted
• Your experiences don’t require a lawyer
• A lawyer won’t be able to help

The insurance adjuster does not know anything about who you may partner with– and honestly, they might not even know anything about your experiences. You can decide what’s best for you; and in most cases that involve personal injury, partnering with an attorney is best for victims. Personal injury lawyers work in your best interest instead of in the best interest of an insurance company.

The Law Office of John W. Redmann, LLC Can Help If Insurance Companies Are Trying to Devalue Your Car Accident Claim In Louisiana

If you’ve been injured due to someone else’s negligence or recklessness, you deserve legal support. The Law Office of John W. Redmann, LLC is prepared to assist personal injury victims with a range of legal services– regardless of what insurance adjusters have told you.

Connect with us online or reach out to us via phone at 504-500-5000 to speak to a qualified legal representative today. Whether you’ve just been injured or insurance adjusters have been hounding you for months, you deserve support.