Auto Accidents - Undertsanding Your Insurance (Page 1)
If you are new to the way in which insurance companies actually handle personal claims, you are about to receive an unpleasant education that will not square with your perception of how it will or should be handled.
Unlike the slick ad campaigns of insurance companies or the "tap-dancing" of insurance agents who infer generous treatment when you need them, prompt response to your post-accident needs and good-natured assistance when "accidents happen" in exchange for your money, you will soon learn that for the most part, this is all just for show. These representations are often nothing more calculated attempts to induce you to pay your premiums to a money-making profit machine. These are not non-profit organizations. The fact of the matter is the less insurance companies have to pay on your claim, the more disposable income they have to line their own pockets with fatter salaries, bonuses and larger shareholder earnings.
Insurance adjusters are the workhorses of the insurance companies. Their job is to pay as little as possible, and only when it is absolutely necessary. They are far from generous. Adjusters highly are trained to deny claims, attack claims, and pay out the least amount they possibly can. The sales side of the insurance company does not bear any resemblance to the claims side.
Our experience in the personal injury field has shown us many examples of what in our opinion is unfair treatment of accident victims. We often tell our clients that we believe that if all insurance companies treated accident victims fairly, we would be out of business! But there never seems to be a shortage of mistreated, short-changed accident victims.
There are too many real life examples we could cite to, but here is a recent sampling:
- Victim is involved in a serious head-on collision that totals his car. An adjuster shows up at the injured parties house, and offers to settle the entire claim for $1,000.00. They want a release of all claims, so that if victim signs, they can never receive any additional compensation-even if it later turns out they sustained injuries. This accident victim has not even been to see a doctor yet to get checked out for injuries! Victim contacts my office to find out if this seems right. Victim, on my recommendation, goes to a doctor to get checked out. X-rays reveal that the victim may have sustained two spinal fractures as a result of the severe impact, and needs to be sent out for an MRI for further diagnostic studies. Fortunately, this victim decided to contact an attorney before taking the ridiculous offer.
- Insurance adjuster inspects car for property damage, stating that the damage is "minor." They are ready to cut a check for this amount. However, upon closer inspection at the auto body shop, once the bumper is removed, several crush points are noted, and instead of a few hundred dollars in damage, repair costs run into the thousands.
