Our Personal Injury Lawyers Help Accident Victims Counter the Tricks Insurance Companies Use to Deny Claims
Deceptive insurance company practices shouldn’t leave you struggling to pay your bills after a car accident, slip and fall, or other personal injury. At Dortch Lindstrom Livingston Law Group, our skilled nationwide personal injury lawyers expose these tactics and fight for the compensation you need to move forward.
Tricks to Watch Out For
Their business model is simple. Insurance companies make money by accepting premium payments and denying claims—even when a claim is legitimate. Learning about the strategies they use to cheat injury victims out of the compensation they need is the first step in beating them at their own game.
1. Delaying the Claims Process
The insurance company may deliberately slow down the claims process—hoping you’ll will become frustrated and settle for less. They might request unnecessary documentation or take an unreasonable amount of time to respond to your questions. If your unpaid bills start to pile up, they’re hoping you’ll feel pressured to accept a lower offer.
2. Disputing the Severity of Your Injuries
Adjusters may try to downplay the extent of your injuries to reduce the compensation you're entitled to for medical expenses and pain and suffering. They might argue that your injuries are preexisting conditions or that you're exaggerating your symptoms. If your claim is large, they may even hire their own medical experts to provide opinions that contradict your doctor’s assessment.
3. Betting You Don’t Understand Policy Coverage
Some insurers may attempt to misinterpret policy language or withhold information about available coverage. They might claim certain treatments aren't covered or that policy limits are lower than they actually are. They’re hoping that your lack of familiarity with policy terms and personal injury law will work in their favor.
4. Pressuring You to Agree to a Quick Settlement
Insurance companies often push for rapid settlements before the full extent of your injuries is known. This tactic can leave you financially strapped if complications arise later. It could also be problematic if your recovery takes longer than initially anticipated.
5. Using Your Words Against You
Adjusters may try to get you to provide a recorded statement early on—hoping you'll say something that can be used to diminish or deny your claim. They might ask leading questions or try to get you to speculate about details you're unsure of. These statements can later be used to contradict your claim or suggest you were at fault for the accident. At Dortch Lindstrom Livingston Law Group, we tell our clients to let us handle the communication on their behalf.
6. Keeping Tabs on Your Social Media Accounts
Insurers might monitor your social media accounts to find evidence that contradicts your injury claims. They might look for photos or posts that show you engaging in physical activities that seem inconsistent with your reported injuries. Even innocent posts can sometimes be misconstrued to challenge the validity of your claim.
7. Shifting Blame
The insurance adjuster might argue that you were partially at fault for the incident—even if evidence suggests otherwise. Or, they may attempt to pin responsibility on a third party.
8. Underestimating Your Future Medical Needs
When calculating settlement offers, insurers often fail to adequately account for ongoing or future medical treatments related to your injury. They might argue that certain future procedures or therapies are unnecessary or unrelated to the accident. This could leave you with significant out-of-pocket expenses.
9. Minimizing Non-Economic Damages
Pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life are harder to put a dollar amount on than medical bills or lost wages. Insurance companies often try to downplay these non-economic damages—offering settlements that don't adequately compensate you for how the accident has altered your life.
10. Exploiting the Statute of Limitations
Each state has a statute of limitations for filing personal injury lawsuits. Insurance companies might intentionally drag out negotiations until you're close to this deadline—hoping you'll feel pressured to accept a lower offer rather than risk running out of time to file a lawsuit.
We’re Here to Help
Insurance companies have a legal obligation to act in good faith when handling claims. If an insurance company is not acting in your best interest, you need the guidance of an experienced personal injury attorney at Dortch Lindstrom Livingston Law Group. We’re prepared to meet the challenges of resolving your claim head-on, limit unnecessary delays, and push for common-sense resolutions at the bargaining table or at trial.