Auto Accidents - Getting Paid (Page 1)
After the pain, inconvenience and financial impact of an auto accident, the last thing you need to worry about is fighting with the car insurance company.
You will quickly find out, if you haven't already, that the insurance representative who handles your claim (known as an insurance adjustor) is very different from your friendly neighborhood insurance agent who eagerly sells car insurance policies.
Insurance adjustors, not agents, will deal with you concerning your accident. They have only one goal: to pay you as little as possible.
They accomplish this in several ways:
- Adjustors wear you down. They know that time is on their side. You're hurt and broke and they know it. The at-fault party's insurance company has no duty to deal with you in good faith. They can string you out.
- Adjustors will blame you for the accident any way then can.
- Adjustors will blame your injuries on preexisting health problems.
- Adjustors will try to undervalue your property damage. Appraisers often overlook, under-value, or miss property damage. Some appraisers will not even look for damage underneath the vehicle. They zealously practice the false philosophy of “minor damage, minor or no injury.”
- Adjustors will scrutinize your medical treatment. They will conclude that you either treated too long, started too late, went too often, took long breaks in treatment, and received improper, unnecessary or too expensive medical treatment.
- Adjustors will hire experts. They will use appraisers, medical record reviewers, accident reconstructionists, biomechanical engineers, and supposed “independent medical examiners” to build a case against you.
- Adjustors will pressure you to settle too early. They want you to settle before knowing whether your injuries are permanent. They will dangle small sums of money early on because they know you need it now. The permanency of some injuries may not be known for several months or even years.
- Adjustors will make you sign a release before they give you any money. Once you sign a release, you can never receive any additional money, even if you need additional legitimate accident-related medical treatment.
These are just some of the reasons you should first consider consulting with an attorney. Most attorneys do not charge for the initial consultation, so you risk nothing.
In most cases, using an attorney is your only realistic means of matching the adjustor on equal footing. We make them pay if they do not act reasonably, and we take them to court if necessary.
Statistics show that 95 percent of accident victims tell the truth about their injuries. However, in order for the truth to prevail, you must still prove it. If you are truthful with your attorney, he will support you and commit resources of time and money to help prove your case.
