Is Your Car Insurance Company on Your Side After an Accident?

After you’re in a car accident, it’s only natural to think about insurance. These companies help you receive fair compensation for the damage to your vehicle and personal injuries. While you may view the other driver’s insurance company as a foe, you likely view your own insurance
company as a friend.

Sadly, the truth of the situation is usually far different. In the vast majority of cases, your insurance company will do everything within its power to withhold payment to you, or pay you a reduced amount for your claim. Why does this happen so often?

Your Insurance Company’s Goal

Your insurance company is a business, and like any business, its ultimate goal is to make a profit. One of the main ways insurance companies turn a profit is by withholding or reducing payouts to their own customers — whether those customers have valid claims or not. It’s all a big numbers game, with the average consumer caught in the middle. The less money these corporations are forced pay to customers, the more they can pocket for themselves.

After a car accident, one of the claims adjusters from your insurance company reaches out to you. It may seem like they’re trying to help you out, but they usually have a hidden agenda when they give you a call. Their goal is to find loopholes that will allow their company to pay you as little as possible.

Insurance Adjusters

The adjuster may ask you to make a recorded statement for them. If you use the wrong words or are inaccurate in your description of events, then they may be able to use those same words as leverage against you when you begin seeking fair compensation. Of course, the adjuster may also look for other ways to minimize your payout. For example, they will likely use unfavorable “comps” (comparisons) when estimating the damage to your vehicle (e.g., they’ll compare your car with other vehicles that are priced below fair market value).

Many adjusters don’t like it if you start asking them questions. They may view their interactions with you as a one-way street: they ask the questions, you answer them. That’s a major red flag in any relationship!

The bottom line is that your insurance company is not on your side after an accident — and no amount of wishful thinking is going to make that the case.

How to Protect Yourself From an Insurance Company

The good news is, there are ways to make sure that you receive the compensation you deserve after your accident — whether the insurance company likes it or not. After all, your insurer is legally obligated to make payments on valid claims. How can you protect yourself from the efforts of your own insurance company to undercut your claim’s validity?

1. Be Truthful Without Volunteering Information

It’s important for you to be honest with your claims adjuster. If your insurance company discovers that you lied about the accident or misrepresented the situation, then they may greatly reduce — or completely deny — your claim. This is not to mention raising your premiums for the foreseeable future.

However, just because you need to be truthful doesn’t mean you need to provide your claims adjuster with a blow-by-blow description of the accident. For one thing, you may not remember or know all the specifics of what happened. Moreover, you don’t want to inadvertently give your adjuster ammunition to shoot your claim down. For instance, by inferring that you were partially at fault.

2. Be Careful About Your Choice of Words

There are certain words you need to be careful about employing in the wake of a car accident. For example:

• “I’m fine.” This expression is usually said out of politeness more than anything — but what if that statement is taken at face value by your insurance company? Then you may have to fight to receive compensation for physical injuries. This is especially true for those that show up later (like soft -tissue injuries).

• “I’m sorry.” Apology words can indicate that you were at fault for the accident, even if you weren’t. Never assume blame, even indirectly through your choice of words.

• “Go ahead and record me.” While it is ultimately a reasonable request on your insurer’s part to ask for a recorded statement, you have the right to refuse the recording of your initial statement (when your thoughts may still be scattered all over the place). Only assent to a recorded statement when you’re ready to do so.

3. Hire an Experienced Car Accident Attorney to Represent You

Ultimately, this is your best option for receiving an equitable compensation offer from your insurance company. An experienced lawyer can help you to navigate the ins and outs of filing your claim, and avoid common pitfalls when dealing with your claims adjuster. They can also walk you through the process you’ll have to follow to get the highest amount of compensation for your case. And if push comes to shove, they’ll fight for your rights in court.

In the final analysis, your insurance company is unfortunately not your friend when you suffer a car accident. However, with the aid of a reputable attorney, you receive just compensation.