While a car insurance company promises to cover the costs associated with involvement in a motor vehicle accident, it does not make any guarantees, regarding the determination of those same costs. Insurers know that they can save money by working to minimize the amount of money that gets granted to a claimant at the time of a settlement.
Money-saving strategies used by insurance companies
Offer a lump sum of a size that pales in comparison to the total amount of money that would have been made available through regular payments.
Utilize a reducing scale, when delivering monthly payments. This gets done without warning the recipient/claimant of plans for reducing the payment’s size over time.
Establishing strict time limits for coverage. Refusing coverage to any policy holder or claimant that has failed to report an accident within the specified period, following occurrence of that particular incident.
Changing the classification of a claimant’s injuries. This approach could allow an insurer to remove support for services associated with a long-range recovery.
Pressuring claimants to accept a smaller compensation. This approach normally takes the form of an enticement. The claimant gets enticed by the promise of quick cash.
Peppering an adjuster’s statements with implications. For instance, an adjuster might imply that his or her view of the situation reflects the insurer’s own view. That implication could force a claimant to believe that the adjuster’s decision cannot be changed.
Getting the claimant to sign a document that gives the insurance company the right to seek out private information. For instance, it could be a paper that grants the insurer the ability to obtain facts on the claimant’s medical history.
How claimants can keep the above strategies from delivering the desired result?
Most of the strategies demand utilization of oral statements. That does not mean that a claimant lacks the ability to make a demand in writing. In fact, such a demand can be used to pressure an adjuster, because it goes into the adjuster’s file. Materials in that particular file can be seen by the insurer, the adjuster’s boss.
Smart claimants hire a Personal Injury Lawyer in Halifax. An injury lawyer’s experience includes familiarity with the strategies listed above. Consequently, a hired attorney knows how to fight such a specific strategy.
For example, a lawyer would resist pressure to reach an early settlement. Lawyers understand that some of an injury’s symptoms do not show themselves until well after the accident. Consequently, a lawyer usually objects to any suggestion that negotiations could be terminated, making way for an early settlement. A negotiated agreement cannot be altered by means of an appeal.