It’s easy to think that a low impact car accident means little or no injury right? If there isn’t any damage to the car, then there can’t be much of an injury to the person. This is exactly what the insurance company wants you to think! But it’s not true at all.
One-third of car crashes happen within a mile of our homes.
The most common of these car wrecks is hitting a parked car and usually happen at a lower speed.
Will insurance companies pay for low impact accident injuries?
Insurance companies have been telling myths about personal injury attorneys and injury claims for years. They use these and other tricks to convince people not to hire a car accident attorney and seek the monetary damages they’re entitled to.
Insurance companies are in business to make money, not give out settlement checks. They do this by finding ways to defend and deny your injury claims, especially those at low impact.
Because most low impact car accident injuries are soft-tissue injuries, like whiplash, adjusters will scrutinize these claims more closely and claim the person is lying or exaggerating to avoid coverage. Below are several ways the insurance companies will try to avoid paying you for a low impact Sacramento car crash.
How do insurance companies fight low impact injuries?
1. Focus on property damage. Like we discussed above, the insurance adjuster will look at the property damage. If there isn’t any property damage, they will argue there can’t be any bodily damage. They’ll want to see pictures of your car after the accident to document the damage.
2. Appraisal. The insurance adjuster will look to get an appraisal of your car on their own.
3. Delay. Insurance companies know that car accidents can create a financial pinch on people due to medical bills and missed work. But they also know people don’t like to deal with this kind of thing. This is a very strong tool they use. Hurrying up and trying to settle a case by accepting the insurance company’s offer is one of the biggest mistakes people make after a car accident. Insurance adjusters know that delay will lead to compromise and that leads to accepting a lower settlement amount.
4. Recorded statement. You are not required to give a recorded statement to the at-fault party’s insurance While you may have to give one to your own in some limited circumstances, the at-fault party’s insurer will use this against you. They know how to get information out of you from seemingly harmless questions and then use your answers to deny your claim. Never give them a recorded statement without your personal injury attorney present.
5. Background information. The adjuster will search databases in an attempt to show you file fraudulent insurance claims. Do not provide your social security number to them because it only makes their job easier.
6. Experts. Insurance adjusters will have their own experts look at the damage and your injury to deny or diminish your claims.
7. Lowball settlement offer. Low impact accidents usually have a low settlement value from the insurance company’s perspective. They know many car accident attorneys won’t take these cases. One reason is that the cost of litigation outweighs any potential recovery and the client would be left with little or no recovery. If the injured person is left with little option but to take the settlement, they will.
8. False sense of security. Insurance adjusters are trained to delay, deny, and defend. But they’re also taught to make people think they’re on their side. They will do this by admitting liability on the phone, but then turning around and denying medical coverage beyond a certain point. By making believe people the adjuster is on their side, they can convince people not to hire a car accident lawyer and get information from the injured person that is damaging to their claim.
You have to remember adjusters are trained to do this every day. They’ve worked thousands of car accident claims throughout the country and know how to get things out of people to either deny or get a lower offer accepted.
If you’ve been in a low impact car accident, the first thing we recommend doing is getting checked out by a doctor. Even if you don’t ultimately experience any injuries, this will document that an accident occurred and you sought medical attention. It is an important step if you do end up filing a claim.
If a low-speed accident has caused you pain, we may be able to help. Our office offers free case evaluations and friendly advice on your options.
Please give us a call at 9166195452 or fill out our form online so that someone can get in touch with you immediately.
