Tips for Dealing with Insurance Companies

Advice from Our Personal Injury Lawyer in Chico, Redding & Santa Rosa

Insurance companies are gamblers. Whenever they issue a policy, they make a bet that the insured won’t get in an accident and make a claim for benefits. Spending less money on claims than what they receive in premiums is how they make their money. Especially in the case of car insurance, they make it hand over fist, since everyone is required by law to have coverage, and only some of them have accidents. So you think auto insurance companies wouldn’t have a problem taking some of those profits to pay legitimate claims, right…?

Wrong. For corporate America, too much money is never enough, and our experience shows that the insurance industry will stop at nothing to deny accident claimants fair treatment and the settlements that they deserve. Our Chico personal injury attorney has years of legal experience when it comes to dealing with insurance companies and has provided information regarding the sneaky tactics you can expect from an insurance carrier when you’re
making a claim.

They Call While You’re In Shock

The trauma of a car accident, dog bite, slip-and-fall, or another incident can often leave the injured person in a state of shock. At this point, their body is still dealing with the immediate effects of an injury, and as a result, they may not be able to use their best judgment. Especially if they have suffered a head injury, accident victims are in no condition to make witness statements or sign documents that could affect their legal rights.

Insurance companies are well-aware of these facts and often try to take advantage of people who are still in a state of shock after an accident. We have seen them contact injured victims within hours after an incident, and it’s never for an honest purpose. Most of the time, they want to obtain a misleading statement from the victim. Sometimes they even arrive at your door with a release and check in hand, in hopes that they can get rid of a potentially serious injury claim for pennies on the dollar. Insurance companies hope to catch their victims when they are incapable of clear memory or judgment, and when they do, the result can be an absolute tragedy.

When They Call, They Twist Your Words

Insurance adjusters are trained to sound pleasant and reassuring over the phone.

In their attempts to sound friendly, you might hear claim adjusters use
the following statements while they are gathering auto claims information:

• “Well, it wasn’t that bad an accident, right?”
• “You sound like you’re feeling pretty good!”
• “Luckily it was a relatively low-speed impact.”
• “Thank goodness you weren’t that badly hurt!”
• “So, you don’t really remember what happened, huh…?”
• “Sounds like there wasn’t much damage done to the vehicles.”

Normally, these sentiments would be innocent, but when you’re dealing with a claims adjuster, you must remember that they are only trying to reduce the value of your claim and that they are probably attempting to put words in your mouth. Their job and their promotional success are based on reducing what you get and keeping you from getting what is fair. Pretty awful, right? And it’s even worse that they’re trying to trick someone when they’re still dealing with the effects of a car accident, dog bite, slip-and-fall, or another injury. Thankfully, our personal injury lawyer in Chico, Redding & Santa Rosa can stand up to these adjusters for you.

They String Claimants Along With False Promises of Fair Treatment

After they’ve taken a statement, claims adjusters will often reassure the injured claimant that they just need to sit back, follow their doctors’ orders, and sign some medical authorizations.

Things change when you start talking about the settlement of your claim. The adjuster starts bringing up problems with your case, like gaps in medical treatment or lack of extensive crash damage from the accident. They deny making any promise to pay your out-of-pocket expenses, despite their friendly and accommodating manner in the beginning of the claim. And nine times out of ten, you can expect an offer that doesn’t even pay your medical bills and wage loss. Insurance companies do this because they know that the expense and risk of litigating a case are enough to pressure most of their victims into accepting rock-bottom offers, even for serious injury claims.

The best way to avoid falling into this trap is to contact an attorney as soon as possible. Our experienced Chico accident attorney can avoid the many pitfalls inherent to presenting an injury claim. At the Law Offices of Max G. Arnold, we are dedicated to getting our clients the highest recovery possible, while minimizing their exposure to the risks and expenses of formalized litigation.

In the meantime, if an insurance representative contacts you, just remember to use the phrase,
“I’ve just been in a serious accident and I know I shouldn’t have this conversation right now.”

Once you’ve said that, simply hang up the phone, and don’t
make any more statements without the assistance of counsel.

What Should I Do While I’m Looking for an Accident Attorney?

If you or a family member have recently been hurt due to a car accident,bicycle accident, dog bite, or slip and fall, we suggest you do the following:

• Seek appropriate medical attention right away, and follow your doctor’s advice. Your main priority at the beginning should be assessing the extent of your injuries, and establishing a treatment plan
• Notify your insurance carrier that you have been in an accident, and ask them if you have any medical payments or other coverage. Never talk to anyone who contacts you from the responsible party’s insurance carrier
• Hire personal injury attorney Max G. Arnold to protect you and your rights

This can be a frightening experience for anyone. Dealing with what happened can be overwhelming and looking for an experienced attorney can sound like a waste of time. Luckily, you have come to the right place. Our accident attorney in Chico can accommodate to your physical and financial needs and do everything we can to help you get the settlement that you deserve for your injuries. We have offices located in Chico, Redding, and Santa Rosa.