In the aftermath of a car crash, you turn to insurance companies for support. If you are like most drivers in Arizona, you expect to receive the coverage you deserve after a crash and trust that the insurance company will do right by you.
However, insurance companies have a financial interest in limiting how much they pay for claims. Rather than trying to treat you in a friendly and respectful manner, the insurance company will instead likely try to trick you in a way that will limit what you receive.
What are some of the ways that an insurance company might try to manipulate the outcome of a claim after a car crash?
They might pressure you into making a recorded statement
There is probably a police report from your crash detailing exactly what happened and assigning fault to the other driver. You might think that those details would be sufficient for your claim, but the insurance company may say that they are not.
Instead, they want you to sit down with an insurance adjuster to give a recorded statement. If they trick you into saying the wrong thing, they could potentially claim that you contributed to the crash. Allegations of contributory negligence usually only come up in personal injury court cases, but they can also affect insurance payout on claims.
They might offer you a very low settlement
The worse your injuries and the more serious the damage to your vehicle, the more costs you will have to cover right after a crash. Insurance companies sometimes take advantage of a person in a vulnerable position by offering a settlement that is far too low.
Faced with an indefinite loss of income, medical bills and the cost of repairing your vehicle or even buying a new one, a settlement may seem like exactly what you need rather than trying to negotiate claims for all of your expenses individually. Unfortunately, insurance companies know that you need money and they may offer you less than they reasonably should because you won’t be able to make another claim against them after accepting the settlement.
Having someone advocate for you during this process, review all settlement offers and guide you through a recorded statement could help you avoid making mistakes that might limit the compensation you receive. Knowing your rights after a car crash will make it harder for an insurance company to trick you into accepting less than you deserve.
