Watch Out for "Scare Tactics" After Your Car Crash

 Posted on February 28, 2022 in Car Accident

Some insurance companies will do just about anything to avoid paying out the full amount a claim is worth after one of their customers causes a car accident. They offer quick settlements that sound good but are not when you stop to add up all your expenses. If you are not represented, they may keep hounding you personally while you should be focusing on recovering from your injuries in an effort to pressure you into an unfair settlement. If none of that works, they just might resort to scare tactics. The safest thing to do after your car crash is to quickly find an attorney to who you can refer the insurance companies. When you are represented, it can take quite a bit of the guesswork out of settling your insurance claim.

What Types of Insurance Company Scare Tactics Should I Look Out For?

Remember - the insurance representative calling you is trained to get crash victims to agree to the lowest possible settlement. They are skilled at this. You probably know better than to take the first offer, but you might be less familiar with what happens after you turn it down. There is a substantial chance that the insurance company might try to frighten you into taking a settlement. The scare tactics they use might include:

• Claiming “generosity” - The person you speak to might assert that the amount they are offering is “more than fair,” or “more than you would get in court.” Let your own lawyer be the judge of that.
• Blaming you - You might hear something of a rant about how you were partially or entirely at fault for the accident. They may claim that your share of fault would probably stop you from recovering damages if you went to court. If you genuinely did share in the blame to some degree but were less at fault than the other driver, you can still recover, although your award could be reduced.
• Counterclaims - An insurance representative may go so far as to assert that the driver who caused your injuries wants to sue you, or will counterclaim if you file a lawsuit. This frequently has no basis in reality.
• Medical information - You might be told that if you go to court, all of your medical records from the past could be used against you to defeat your claim in a public forum. Having your privacy threatened like that would be quite disturbing to most people. However, this is a gross overstatement. While some medical records relevant to showing that your injuries were caused by the accident could be introduced on the off chance you go to trial, you will not lose all your privacy.

Insurance companies have no interest in telling you the whole truth - but your lawyer will.

Call a Larimer County Car Accident Lawyer

Call Hoggatt Law Office, P.C. first after your car accident, before an insurance representative calls you. Let our experienced Ft. Collins car accident attorneys deal with the insurance company for you. Dial 970-225-2190 when you are ready for a free consultation.

Source:

https://www.caranddriver.com/car-insurance/a36411402/after-an-accident-how-to-deal-with-insurance/