3 Ways Insurance Might Take Advantage of Unrepresented Parties After a Car Crash

 Posted on June 22, 2022 in Car Accidents

Many, if not most, insurance companies have one goal and only one goal - and it is not to make sure that people their clients injure get fair settlements. In fact, the goal of a car insurance company after one of its drivers causes a crash is generally to get away with paying the lowest possible settlement. Settlements offered by insurance companies to unrepresented crash victims are often far too low to cover the costs and financial losses associated with a car crash.

Taking a settlement without speaking to an attorney could mean leaving thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars on the table. It is not likely that an insurance company will tell you that you can recover things like future care expenses and lost wages. They may even dishonestly tell you that they do not pay for certain costs that you could be legally entitled to recover. It is important to work with an attorney who understands your rights and will fight to protect them after a car accident injury. 

Tricks a Car Insurance Company Might Try

While you are still reeling from your crash, the insurance company may try all manner of less-than-ethical methods to get you to accept a fraction of what your claim is actually worth. You should be prepared for tricks like: 

• Nice-sounding offers - One tactic insurance companies might use is making an initial that sounds a lot better than it is. This initial settlement offer will only look good until you sit down with your lawyer and start crunching the numbers. 
• Blame game - Even if you know you did nothing wrong and that the accident was entirely the other driver’s fault, the insurance company may try to scare you out of taking them to court by trying to pass some or all of the blame on to you. Do not fall for it - if they try this, hang up and call a lawyer. 
• Keeping secrets - The formula insurance companies use to calculate settlements does not include quite a few categories of compensable costs. They may consider the cost of damage to your vehicle and your medical bills from the day of the crash, and little else. They will not tell you that you can also recover damages for expenses you will have to deal with in the future, like the cost of ongoing care, or compensation for emotional harm. 

Never consider accepting a settlement offer from a car insurance company until you have met with a lawyer and done the math. 

Call a Lake County Car Accident Lawyer

If you have been injured in a car accident, Barrington Injury Attorneys will strive to help you recover the full amount of compensation you deserve. Our skilled Barrington car accident attorneys have too much experience to fall for any tricks an insurance company may try. Contact us at 224-900-HURT for a free consultation. 

Source:

https://www.caranddriver.com/car-insurance/a31268644/how-to-negotiate-an-insurance-settlement-for-your-car/