Five Ways Car Insurance Companies Try to Limit Your Settlement

Auto accidents can happen when we least expect them. Your day can be ruined in a matter of seconds. According to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), nearly 350 car accidents are reported every day. Following a collision, you need the maximum financial support to pay your bills and provide for your loved ones. Unfortunately, insurance companies do not make the claims process easy. Here, our Spokane insurance appeals attorneys highlight five common strategies auto insurance companies use to reduce your settlement.

Watch Out for these Auto Insurance Company Tactics

Requesting (Demanding) a Recorded Statement

After a serious crash, you should expect a phone call from an auto insurance company representative. It may be your own insurer, the other driver’s insurer, or both. In reaching out to you, the insurance adjuster is likely to ask for a recorded statement.

You should not agree to give a recorded statement without consulting with a Spokane car accident attorney. Car insurance companies want you to give a recorded statement so that they can dig through your words to find something they can use to reduce your settlement or deny your claim.

Sending a Medical Authorization Form

A medical authorization form allows the insurance company to dig through all of your sensitive personal records. Also known as a healthcare release authorization, these are HIPAA-complaint legal documents. By signing one, you are giving the insurance company access to far more medical information than they need. They want to look through your medical history to find some excuse to write your injuries off as a pre-existing condition.

Assuring You that Similar Claims Have Been Settled for Less

The car insurance company may tell you that other people have brought similar claims and that they have been settled for less. This is a strategy to get you to accept a reduced settlement. Every car accident injury case is different. You are entitled to financial compensation for your damages. Keep the focus on your own case.

Minimizing Pain and Suffering and Other Intangible Damages

One of the key strategies car insurance companies use to reduce settlement is to minimize pain and suffering. As pain and suffering covers an ‘intangible’ damage, it is difficult to put an exact dollar figure on it. Insurers try to take advantage of uncertainty and settle claims for less. Your pain and suffering is real and you deserve full financial compensation.

Using the “Final Offer” Trick

Insurance adjusters sometimes try to create a false time constraint and a heightened sense of pressure by claiming that they are making a “final offer.” In reality, that is not how the process works. Do not be intimidated into settling your claim for less simply because the insurer says it’s the final offer. Let your attorney handle them.

Contact Our Spokane, WA Insurance Denial Lawyers for Immediate Help

At‌ ‌Albrecht‌ ‌Law‌ ‌PLLC, our Spokane insurance denial attorneys are knowledgeable, effective advocates for clients. We know how to hold Washingt on’s largest insurance companies accountable. To arrange a free initial consultation, please contact our law firm now. We serve communities throughout the entirety of the region, including in Spokane Valley, Sprague, St. John, LaCrosse, and Cheney.