As we’ve discussed in Part I and Part II. insurance companies can use delaying and recorded statements (among others) to their advantage. The whole idea is to grind car accident victims down to accept a lower amount or to find something to deny coverage. Unfortunately, a third tactic is one that really opens the door for injured victims to be taken advantage of a false sense of security.
How do car insurance companies trick people?
Adjusters may start off by trying to build a rapport with the victim. In some cases, the injured victim may already be feeling the financial effects of the car accident.
Medical bills rising and time off from work both can add up quickly. This can often lead to a feeling of distress and/or depression. Some people are just looking for someone to talk to with a friendly voice.
Adjusters will ask the accident victim to tell their story and just let them talk uninterrupted. They will say that a recorded statement is necessary to process the claim. But people don’t like dead air or silence, so they will just keep talking. This is a strategy that lawyers use at a deposition or at trial to try to get witnesses to talk more and say something that could hurt their claim.
Insurance adjusters may also make what seem like harmless comments throughout the recorded statement. They could say something like, “oh well that’s good you aren’t injured more!” And a simple acknowledgment of “oh I know” can provide them a defense. The insurance company would be able to argue that immediately following the accident, the victim acknowledged that they weren’t as injured as they claim.
How do insurance adjusters use this to their advantage?
The whole idea is that when someone feels comfortable with another person, they will let their guard down. This will lead to them saying things that they wouldn’t have said otherwise—even things detrimental to their claim. The adjuster will have the car accident victim believing that they’re on “their side” to help them get the claim processed and paid.
While they’re not allowed to outright lie or deceive, adjusters will say things that purposely mislead or test the limits of your knowledge. One way they do this is to say they’ll accept liability for their driver’s negligence.
They will say something like they accept fault or our insured was at fault and you should go get medical care and treatment—they will pay the bills. This is so the car accident victim thinks the insurance company will be reasonable and fair. However, when the victim submits the bills, the insurance company turns around and says the treatment is more than what was necessary and they will only cover a fraction of the cost.
Insurance companies also don’t want you to hire a seasoned car accident lawyer. By building a rapport with the injured victim, they will lead the victim to believe it’s in their best interest to get things done quickly and smoothly and without lawyers. And let’s face it, we know people don’t want to rush out to hire a lawyer, so this is a good sales pitch. The problem is that the longer a victim waits to hire an attorney, the tougher it may be to find one.
The problem is that as soon as the victim believes this, they’re at an extreme disadvantage because the adjuster knows how to play the game. Adjusters are paid out bonuses by getting claims to be denied or paid out lower than their value. If an attorney isn’t involved, they will be able to ask for things and information they aren’t entitled to and it may ultimately get a claim denied.
There will be no limit to the medical records they ask for—this means they can attribute your injury to something that happened in the past and lower or deny your claim. They may claim that prescription drugs aren’t covered when they really are. Or they may set an arbitrary deadline for a settlement so the victim has a fear of missing out.
Insurance companies are in business to make money and the way they do that is by denying claims or paying less than what’s owed. Don’t fall into their trap. It is free to meet with Sacramento car accident lawyers to evaluate your options. While it can be just another thing added to the to-do list, it could have lasting consequences on your health and future.
We are here to help if you have questions about a car crash claim. We offer no-cost case evaluations and will review your documents for free. Please give us a call at (916) 619-5452 or fill out our form online.
