.1905060608550.png)
We pay monthly premiums in the hopes that when we need the insurance company, they’ll be there to help. Unfortunately, in car accidents caused by someone else’s negligence, those premiums don’t matter nearly as much because you won’t be dealing with your own insurance company.
Instead, you’ll be dealing with an insurance company only focused on their policyholder and are not always willing to pay you what you deserve for the damages sustained. This makes legal matters difficult because these insurance companies are not always honest when faced with an injury claim.
Some insurance companies lie to protect their profits. For you, as an injured victim, knowing the ways the insurance company may lie to you is imperative as you can create a strategy that is focused on avoiding these devious tactics by the insurance company.
Here are some of the common lies insurance companies tell:
The Insurance Company May Claim You Were At Fault (Fully or Partially)
At the end of the day, insurance companies are willing to do whatever it takes to limit the amount that they have to pay you for your injuries and property damage. In fact, they’d probably prefer denying your claim completely, so they have to pay nothing.
However, when fault and liability does exist, the insurance company will try and find any piece of evidence they can use against you to claim you were at full or partial fault. To do this, they look at a number of different components of the case:
- Your initial and follow-up statements: If you provided a statement immediately following the car accident, you want to make sure specific details of your story are clear. Changing up your story in the future can be damaging to your case.
- Social media presence and updates: One of the most damaging things you can do after an accident is post certain things on social media. For instance, if you discuss an activity you’re going to be doing, the insurance company will try to claim that if you can do the activity, your injury must not be serious, and you don’t deserve compensation.
- Statements you made to their policyholder: After a crash, it’s easy to see why many people are empathetic. However, saying “sorry” can be held against you, even if you say it out of instinct in the situation. Apologizing can be construed as an admission of fault.
The Insurance Company May Claim that If You Don’t Accept a Settlement, You’ll Get Nothing
A settlement offer is often something that the insurance company uses to limit how much they pay you after a crash. Why? Because it is often much less than they’d have to pay out and spend should the case go to a trial.
The insurance company hopes that you are in a dire financial situation and with medical bills piling up, the inability to work, and other costs associated with the crash, you may be more willing to take the settlement offer to help get things fixed quickly.
They may even try to tell you that if you don’t accept the settlement offer, that you won’t be able to recover anything else. This is not true at all, but you should speak with your attorney to determine whether or not the settlement is adequate enough for your recovery.
The Insurance Company May Claim that Your Injuries are Pre-Existing
One of the biggest ways insurance companies try to lie about your claim is by using your injuries as part of their own argument. This includes claiming that the injury you sustained in the car accident was actually a pre-existing condition and that you shouldn’t be able to receive any compensation.
When we say receiving medical attention is one of the most important steps following a car accident, this is the reason why.
Insurance companies often hope that injured individuals don’t get medical records so they can make any claim they feel can help their case. If you’re injured and wait days or even weeks after the accident to see a doctor, this is ammo for the insurance company.
Make sure you see the doctor right away and get the medical records indicating the injury you sustained as a result of the accident, the date the injury occurred, and any other information showing the serious nature of the injuries you sustained.
Protect Your Rights with Our St. Louis Car Accident Lawyers
Unscrupulous insurance companies should not be able to take advantage of innocent and vulnerable injury victims. It’s important for those injured to understand what steps to take to move forward and hold the negligent party and his or her insurance company accountable.
At Meyerkord & Kurth, we know how insurance companies work. With a legacy of legal innovation, we also know how to combat the tactics these large corporations use to take advantage of injured victim’s rights and put their profits over the health and safety of others.
Our St. Louis car accident attorneys utilize decades of combined experience to help you navigate the complexities of the legal system after a car wreck caused by negligence. Trust that we fight tirelessly to help you move forward and pursue the fair financial compensation you deserve.
Call our firm today at (800) 391-4318 to speak with our team about your legal rights and options. We’re here to help you and demand justice from start to finish.