If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, you may be entitled to recover compensation for your damages. However, insurance companies will fight hard to deny your claim or to settle it for pennies on the dollar.
At Chris Corzo Injury Attorneys we stand up to big insurance companies and demand they pay the full value of our clients’ claims. We know all the tactics insurance companies use and how to combat them. We don’t need them to play fair to beat them at their own game.
Don’t face this challenge alone If you have been injured in an accident caused by another party, let us help you.
Call (225) 999-1111 or visit our contact page to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.
What To Expect From Insurance Companies After an Accident
If you were injured in any kind of motor vehicle accident caused by another party, you will probably quickly receive a call from that party’s insurance company adjuster. As nice as they may seem, you must remember that they are not your friend.
Insurance companies are in business to make a profit and they make huge profits by denying claims and settling others for as little as possible.
They use a variety of unfair tactics to try to deny or devalue your claim and pressure you to settle for as little as possible.
Tactics Insurance Companies Use Against You
Insurance companies train their adjusters to use tactics that will elicit information from you that they can use against you and to pressure you into settling for less than your claim is worth. Some of the unfair tactics insurance companies use against you include:
- Contacting you immediately after your accident. After an accident you may still be confused and unsure and you may not have yet spoken to an attorney. Insurance companies know this and will use this to try and gain an advantage by contacting you immediately after an accident. They hope to get you to settle your claim for much less than its worth before you can consult an attorney.
- They may ask you to provide a recorded statement. The adjuster may seem unbiased and even sympathetic for your injuries. However, do not be fooled. They hope you will give a recorded statement and say something they can later use against you. Even something as simple as asking “How are you?” can be a tactic to get you to say “I’m fine” so they can allege you were not injured after your accident. Do not provide a recorded statement to the insurance company until you consult an experienced Louisiana car accident injury attorney.
- Asking you to sign a medical authorization. It may sound reasonable that the insurance company needs to have access to your medical records concerning your accident. However, their medical authorizations are often very broad and may allow them to access your prior medical history that is not relevant to your accident. By doing this, the insurance company hopes to find a prior injury or pre-existing condition to blame for your current injury sustained in the accident. You should decline signing a medical authorization and allow your attorney to handle all communications with the insurance companies.
- They may offer you a quick settlement in exchange for you releasing your claim. Again, the insurance company hopes they can convince you to take a low-ball settlement offer before you can consult an attorney and learn what the full value of your claim is. Do not be quick to accept a settlement offer. Consult an attorney and allow them to fully evaluate your claim so you can know what a fair settlement offer would be.
- Insurance companies are notorious for denying your claim. This is a delay tactic to buy them more time and to put pressure on you to accept a lower offer because you need compensation for your medical bills and to support your family if you are unable to work. Allow your attorney to handle the insurance companies and demand that they promptly and fairly pay your claim.
- They may try to shift blame to you. If they are able, they will try to say the accident was your fault or that your actions contributed to the accident. If they can assign a percentage of fault to you, they will be able to settle your claim for less. In Louisiana, if you are found to be partially at fault, you may still be able to recover compensation for your damages. However, your compensation will be reduced by the percentage of fault assigned to you.
- Insurance adjusters will sometimes advise you that your medical treatment will not be covered beyond a certain point. Do not let them bully you. Consult an experienced Louisiana personal injury attorney who knows how to handle insurance companies and their unfair tactics.
- Insurance company representatives have been known to misrepresent the insurance policy coverage benefits to victims and to misrepresent the applicable law to them. Don’t take legal advice from the insurance company. You need a skilled personal injury attorney to advise you.
- They may tell you that you will be better off not hiring an attorney. They tell you this because they know if you consult an attorney they are likely to have to pay the full value of your claim rather than a much lower settlement offer.
These are some, but certainly not all, of the unfair tactics used by insurance companies to avoid paying your claim or to settle it for lower than the full value of your damages. Don’t be victimized by the insurance company. Retain an experienced Louisiana personal injury attorney to help you recover maximum compensation for your damages.
How a Louisiana Personal Injury Attorney Can Help You
An experienced Louisiana personal injury attorney will know how to handle unfair insurance company tactics to protect your right to recover the full value of your claim.
They will stand up to insurance companies who try to deny or devalue your claim and hold them responsible for paying the fair value of your claim.
Your chances of recovering maximum compensation are much higher when you are represented by an experienced Louisiana personal injury attorney.
Schedule a Consultation Today
At Chris Corzo Injury Attorneys, we know how to combat unfair tactics used by insurance companies. We won’t allow them to take advantage of you.
We work tirelessly to recover maximum compensation for you. Schedule a free consultation by calling (225) 999-1111 or by visiting our contact page.