Is The Insurance Company Treating You Fairly?
In most personal injury cases the negligent defendant will have insurance. Even larger companies that don’t use insurance companies will often be self-insured—that is, they will maintain their own pool of insurance and an office that deals with liability claims that are made against them.
If you are injured in an accident, you can expect to have interactions with these insurance companies. In fact, this is done in almost every injury case in an effort to try to settle the case before filing a lawsuit in court. But how do you know if the insurance company is treating you fairly?
Get Help
First, it is imperative to mention that you should always have an attorney at your side when you are injured in an accident. You should never deal with the insurance company on your own. These companies negotiate tens of thousands of cases every year, using experienced staff, on-call attorneys, and a wealth of resources, none of which you likely have if you aren’t represented by your own attorney.
Dealing With Adjusters
Insurance companies use adjusters, which are the agents that will communicate with you on behalf of the insurance company. They will often be nice to you, personally. But that niceness hides the underlying motivation to settle your case for as little money as possible—or, to get you to walk away from your personal injury claim with no money at all.
The insurance company will usually try to make you a quick, immediate offer to try to settle the case. This is usually a sign that they aren’t being fair with you—they are trying to offer you a little money now in hopes that you will take it and go away.
The insurance company may tell you why your claim is bad. You’re responsible for your own accident. Their client (insured) did nothing wrong. Your injuries aren’t “that serious.” These are all things you’ll hear the insurance adjuster say—and they’re all indications that the insurance company may not be treating you very fairly.
Signing Releases
The insurance adjuster may try to put paperwork in front of you to sign—this paperwork is usually a release of all your claims, in return for a very small amount of money. This is another unfair tactic insurance companies will use. They will tell you what a great offer it is, and how hopeless your claim will be if you decide to sue.
Truth is Optional
The insurance company may have a wildly different view of how the accident happened. This could be because they are getting a different story from their insured. But it could also just be a blatant lie. In negotiation, there is no requirement that anybody tell the truth. Many insurance companies, in an effort to get you to settle your case quickly and cheaply, play fast and loose with the truth.
Call the Knoxville personal injury attorneys at Fox Farley Willis Burnette, PLLC, today for help dealing with the insurance company for the negligent Defendant after your accident.
