Dealing with Insurance Companies: Tips for Personal Injury Victims
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By PAGE Editor
It is no great conspiracy that insurance companies will do almost anything possible to deny paying out even the most minute amount of money. In fact, most providers will have extensive legal counsel on their books for this very reason. Nevertheless, they are still legally obliged to offer restitution if you have followed their terms and conditions and are able to prove that you weren’t the negligent party.
If you have found yourself at the mercy of an insurer that is abusing its position and you don’t know where to turn, this post should be your guiding angel. We will cover multiple proven techniques and tips that you can utilize to even the playing field and prevent the company from moving the goalposts with immunity.
Enlist The Assistance Of A Trained Law Professional
When dealing with companies of this nature, you really ought to explore your options vis a vis legal representation. Lawyers are well-versed in the art of negotiation and, in most cases, can convince an insurer to pay out simply by virtue of officially contacting them and giving them pause for thought they might actually have to fight someone their own size, so to speak. Furthermore, according to Kogan & DiSalvo Personal Injury Lawyers in St. Petersburg, there could be multiple factors that influence your ability to claim, some of which are slightly more complex than you might imagine.
For instance, there is such a thing called split liability whereby you are deemed to share some responsibility for the accident and, therefore, may not be entitled to a total payout depending on the circumstances. A lawyer can discuss this with you in advance and help you set expectations and determine what steps are most suitable when bringing the fight to the insurer.
Understand Your Insurance Policy Details Thoroughly Before Signing Up
Too often, we are tempted to simply sign any contract put in front of us in order to get the task out of the way or to avoid spending time reading through the small print. Because, after all, everything is going to be okay, right? Well, not always, and if you take this attitude and approach, you run the risk of losing everything at a time in your life when you perhaps need all the support you can muster. By reading the fine print, you guard yourself against any actions the insurance company might choose to take and will have plenty of ammunition to back up your claims as long as you follow their conditions to the letter. It also gives you the flexibility to move on to another insurance provider if their terms are overly complex or so overbearing that any attempt to claim money will be met with an immediate dismissal.
Document Everything Related To Your Injury
If you follow the previous point, you should note that in the event of an accident and a claim, you will very likely need to present the company with plenty of documentation to prove beyond doubt the amount you’re claiming and for what reasons. Your best course of action here is to take the shotgun approach and basically save all receipts, reports, and really anything directly or indirectly related to the incident and sort through it all as and when required.
You can perform this task with your lawyer if you hire one, go through the documents that will be permissible, and leave out those who could act against you and appear as though you are trying to fraudulently gain compensation for outlays unrelated to the accident. In other words, it is better to have as much information as possible and not need some of it rather than find yourself unable to claim back a large chunk of money you deserve but have no means to prove otherwise.
Be Prompt With Your Notice Of A Claim
Speed is your best friend in these instances. While you may be unable to contact your insurance provider right away due to mitigating circumstances (you are in a coma or require emergency surgery, etc.), you should always strive to notify them as soon as possible. The longer you wait (outside of the aforementioned mitigated situations), the higher the chance is that they will deny your claim.
This can be for various reasons but is usually connected to the fact that there can be statutes of limitations involved or that the insurance company believes you are being fraudulent. In the case of the former issue, there is not much you can do about that, as these time limits are typically codified in law. However, when it comes to the latter, you can sometimes hire a law firm to act on your behalf and prove to a court that the insurance company is being unfair and owes you what they have promised in the contract.
Communicate Clearly With Your Adjuster And Remain Cordial
When you contact your provider, you will usually be paired up with an adjuster whose job is to assess your claim and determine whether or not the company will compensate you. In these cases, you should always remain cordial and avoid losing your temper. They are only there to assess the situation, and the more difficult you make it for them, the less likely it is that they will come to the correct conclusion.
If you are worried about your claim or dealing with them, you can always ask your lawyer to communicate on your behalf. It’s also worth mentioning that while officially, an adjuster cannot base their conclusions on your interaction with them (as in whether they like you or not), they are still human and will base decisions on emotion, meaning you really need to remain calm with them and allow them to do their job.
Remain Patient During Negotiations And Claims
Even if you are granted the total amount and have ostensibly won your case, these situations have a habit of moving slower than you might be happy with. There are numerous checks they have to pass through, and it can take time for an adjuster to analyze your case and supporting documentation. You can always ask for a general timeline of when you might expect to receive the payout, but it’s crucial to remain patient and allow the process to happen organically. If you are in dire need of money, you can always ask your lawyer to claim interim payments that should help to cover your more immediate costs.
Insurance companies have a well-deserved reputation for shifting the goalposts, reneging on their own contracts, and generally being recalcitrant in their dealings with customers. Using these tips and hiring some legal muscle to act on your behalf should go a long way in ensuring you end up with your just desserts.
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