Many times after an accident in Connecticut, the insurance adjuster who represents the person who caused your accident will call you to apologize for the accident. The adjuster also indicates that he wants to open a claim for you so that you can get your medical bills paid, get paid for lost wages, and repair your car.
The first major mistake you can make after being injured in a Connecticut car accident is to give a recorded statement. You should never give a recorded statement. There are also a number of other things that the insurance adjuster will want you to do like signing blanket medical authorizations and releases which you also should not do.
So why should you not deal with the insurance adjuster?
Consider some of the following tricks and tactics that insurance company adjusters use to pay you the least amount of money possible for your accident or injury claim:
The insurance adjuster will act like they are on your side. They will tell you that they want to pay your medical bills, compensate you for your lost wages and get your car repaired as quickly as possible. They will also make arrangements to provide you with a rental vehicle. You might also be told that the two of you can work together to settle your accident case without the help of a lawyer in order to save money on legal fees. All of this might make perfect sense to you. However, the insurance adjuster is setting you up so he can pay the least amount of money possible for your accident or injury claim.
The insurance adjuster will request unnecessary documentation. You will be given forms and told that you need to sign them. After you have sent the insurance company everything they have requested, you may be told that you need to provide them with additional information and documentation. After you provided the insurance company with this other information you may be told that they are missing certain information and will then request additional information. This tactic is used to wear you down and delay paying you just, reasonable and proper compensation in a timely manner.
The insurance adjuster will probably bring up any injury that you have suffered in the past. Since your medical records show that you were previously injured, they will claim that the accident did not cause all of the injuries that you are currently suffering from due to pre-existing injuries. Even if you are fully recovered from a prior accident or injury, they might claim that different body parts were affected and that these injuries had some impact upon your current case.
The insurance adjuster will scrutinize your medical treatment. They may very well claim that you receive too much treatment, that the care you received was not appropriate for the injury you sustained, or that your doctors have overcharged you for your treatment. As a result, the insurance company will claim that this is not their problem. This is yet another tactic that insurance companies use to try and pay you pennies on the dollar and defend their insured.
The insurance adjuster might claim that you are either partially at fault or more than 50% at fault so as to greatly reduce the value of your claim. They might very well claim that you were traveling too fast, did not turn your vehicle to the right or to the left to avoid the accident, did not take evasive action so as to avoid the collision, or even that something was wrong with your vehicle that prevented you from stopping in time.
You must understand that this is a big business and insurance adjusters have one job to do: pay you the least amount of money possible for your accident or injury case. One insurance study found that injured parties who hired an experienced personal injury lawyer ended up with more money in their pocket after they paid their attorney than individuals who represented themselves. Unfortunately, you will be at a distinct disadvantage if you attempt to represent yourself in dealing with the insurance company adjuster. We have even seen cases where a self-represented party has been lied to by the insurance adjuster in an effort to pay them as little as possible for their case.
As soon as you are able, contact an experienced Connecticut personal injury attorney to have your rights explained to you. Our Connecticut accident attorneys will tell you what you should be doing, what you should not be doing, how you can receive better medical care, how you can heal quicker, how you can develop your lost wages claim, and what you can do to get more money for your injury case. The advice and counsel that we provide to accident victims is free. We even provide free books with great information that you can read in the privacy of your home.
Do not make the mistake of attempting to represent yourself. Instead, get the advice of an experienced Connecticut accident lawyer. Call us today to schedule your free case evaluation!
Comments
There are no comments for this post. Be the first and Add your Comment below.
Leave a Comment