3 Big Ways Insurance Companies Fool You After Your Personal Injury
Published on March 25th, 2021 by The Illinois Hammer Injury Law Firm
A Personal Injury Is No Joke
A personal injury accident or workplace accident could happen at any given moment, and the repercussions could be costly. From medical bills to repairing damages, the money adds up quickly. Because injury accidents are often serious, insurance companies fear losing money when compensating injury victims.
To avoid paying out large sums to injury victims, insurance companies will try to manipulate an injury victim. Yes, it’s wrong, but it still happens. As an injury victim, you deserve justice and fair compensation. Don’t let the insurance company fool you into agreeing to compensation that is far less than what you deserve for your personal injury. The Illinois Hammer Injury Law Firm wants you to know the ways an insurance adjuster may try to make a fool out of you.
How Insurance Companies Could Fool You
The job of an insurance claims adjuster is to save the company money. Though there are standard rules that claim adjusters are required to follow, they may attempt to use techniques to derail the personal injury claim of an injured person. Attorneys at The Illinois Hammer Injury Law Firm have almost 30 years of experience in injury law, and they know the tactics insurance companies may try to use against you. Below are three big ways the adjuster will use manipulative techniques to look out for the insurance company’s best interest, instead of yours, after a personal injury or workplace accident:
1. Insurance Companies Mislead You about Your Timeline to File
A go-to tactic that insurance companies use to save money is to exaggerate the timeline of the claims process to make you think that you have taken too long to file your injury claim. In doing this, the insurance adjustor is attempting to make you panic and agree to the first settlement that is offered to you out of fear that you may lose your claim, which would make you ineligible for any monetary insurance benefits.
The reality is, each personal injury claim has a statute of limitations. This means that there is a definite period in which you can file your claim, and it acts as the only real time limit on filing a claim. As long as you act within the statute of limitations, you can still file your personal injury claim. If you aren’t sure about your case’s statute of limitations, an attorney at The Illinois Hammer Injury Law Firm can help you.
Furthermore, insurance companies may pressure you into explaining why you filed your personal injury claim when you did in hopes to use this against you. You do not legally owe the insurance company an excuse or explanation for the timeline in which you waited to file your claim.
2. They Advise You Not to Seek Legal Counsel
In addition to misleading you about your timeline to file a claim, an insurance company may also disregard the value of proper legal counsel after a personal injury. They may suggest that legal counsel is a waste of time. Why would an insurance company not want you to have a lawyer? The short answer: they don’t want you to know your rights as an injury victim.
Knowing your rights as a personal injury victim will help you maximize your case. When you seek legal counsel with The Illinois Hammer Injury Law Firm our attorneys will advise you on best practices and the settlement you deserve. They will inform you when an offer from the insurance company is strong or not. This could be the difference between recuperating hundreds or thousands!
3. They Will Try to Record Conversations and Use Them Against You
The Illinois Hammer Injury Law Firm advise never to give the insurance company a recorded statement. They will record conversations and may use small talk against you. For example if they ask, “how are you?” and you respond, “fine,” they may suggest that means you aren’t in pain, even if you were just trying to be polite. If an insurance adjuster asks for permission to record the conversation or you receive an automated message that says the conversation may be recorded, do not engage with the adjuster. Speak to your attorney so they can advise you how to handle the situation.
With insurance companies working to derail your personal injury claim, having an advocate working for you to help you understand your rights as an injury victim is key to helping you get the compensation you are entitled to. The Illinois Hammer Injury Law Firm makes sure our clients are never fooled by the insurance company.
Contact Us
If you have been injured as a result of a personal injury or workplace accident and would like to speak with one of our attorneys, call The Illinois Hammer for a free case consultation. Our attorneys have recovered millions for their clients, and they are prepared to hammer the insurance company. Let The Illinois Hammer Injury Law Firm help you get the compensation you deserve!
