You may expect an auto insurance company to provide fair compensation if their client causes an accident that leaves you with an injury. Ultimately, you may find that car insurance adjusters will do everything within their power to lower your settlement or avoid having to pay any damages. With help from an Okemos car accident lawyer, you can avoid tricks that adjusters commonly use to deceive and manipulate auto crash victims.
At White Law PLLC, we have seen all of the tricks that auto insurance adjusters use. Our Michigan car accident attorney can discuss these tricks and many other legal topics with you. For more information, reach out to us.
Auto Insurance Adjuster Tricks
Do not let a car insurance adjuster get the best of you. Contact White Law PLLC, and our car accident lawyer in Michigan can handle negotiations with an insurance company. In the meantime, take a look at our list of 10 of the most common tricks that auto insurance adjusters use to decrease settlements.
Your Fight Is Our Fight
1. Offering a Settlement Just Days After Your Accident
Per Michigan Compiled Laws §600.5805, you have up to three years from the date you suffer a personal injury to file a claim against any at-fault parties. However, within days of your auto crash, an insurance adjuster may reach out to you. They may pressure you to accept an immediate settlement that is far less than what you may be able to get if you bring your case to trial.
2. Delaying Your Claim
An insurance adjuster may be difficult to reach or choose not to respond to your concerns and questions. This is a popular stall tactic, as each day that passes cuts into your window for filing a lawsuit. If three years pass and your auto accident claim remains unresolved, you no longer have the right to sue any at-fault parties.
We understand that you may be going through a difficult situation and we are ready to help however we can.
3. Refusing to Pay Certain Damages
There are times when an adjuster may deny your request for compensation relating to your crash. For example, you may need a rental car to get to work while the vehicle that was damaged in your crash gets repaired. Even if you have rental car reimbursement coverage, you may have to keep a close eye on your adjuster to make sure you are compensated accordingly.
You will always work directly with your attorney throughout your case.
4. Paying Only a Portion of Your Damages
If you are partially at fault in your auto accident, an adjuster may only cover some of the damages you request. The adjuster may also try to get you to accept partial responsibility for the crash. Let a car accident attorney in Michigan speak to an adjuster on your behalf, as this helps you avoid the risk that comes with potentially admitting any percentage of fault.
5. Asking You to Sign a Medical Release
If an adjuster claims you “have” to sign a medical release, know your rights. You do not have to agree to this. By signing a release, an adjuster may review your medical records from many years ago and look for any health issues that may give them grounds for denying your claim.
6. Asking You to Make a Statement on the Record
An adjuster is more focused on the best interests of their company and their client. As such, they may contact you and ask you to speak about your auto crash and injury on the record. You can decline this request — and you should, since an adjuster will do whatever they can to get you to say you are in some way responsible for your collision.
7. Claiming Your Injury Is Not as Bad as It Seems
Go to a doctor, get a medical evaluation, and find out the full extent of your car accident injury. Otherwise, an adjuster may try to claim a soft-tissue injury or any other health issues you are dealing with are not as serious as you are making them out to be. They may do this in hopes you will agree to a settlement that is nowhere near what you may get if you move forward with a personal injury lawsuit.
8. Going Through Your Social Media Pages
You may want to publish social media content to keep your family and friends up to date after your auto accident. Resist the urge to do so since an adjuster may comb through your posts and use anything you share against you. It only takes one social media post to compromise your auto accident claim — if you want to keep family and friends in the loop following your crash, do so through phone calls, video chats, texts, and emails.
9. Threatening to Sue You
An adjuster may actually send you a notice of a lawsuit or claim that they will cancel your insurance policy if you do not accept a settlement offer. In either scenario, you still have a valid claim for damages. By partnering with an attorney who has a track record of outstanding case results, you can put yourself in a great position to secure compensation, regardless of what an adjuster chooses to do.
10. Claiming You Do Not Need to Hire a Lawyer
If an adjuster tells you not to hire a car crash lawyer, they are doing so for their own best interests — not yours. When you have an attorney at your side, you can work with a legal representative who is committed to helping you get a reasonable settlement. Your lawyer protects your rights, advocates for you, and remains available to address any legal concerns and questions you have.
Now that you know the tricks of the trade among insurance adjusters, get legal help with your auto accident claim. Look for a lawyer who has plenty of experience. This attorney can walk you through the process of filing an insurance claim and help you out every step of the way.
Get Started with Your Auto Accident Claim
If you were involved in an auto accident in Michigan and need legal help, White Law PLLC is here for you. Our attorney is available to review your case. To request a free consultation, contact us today.
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