Your Allies Throughout Your Recovery

Why you may need backup when dealing with an insurance claim

On Behalf of | Nov 13, 2020 | Personal Injury

People carry insurance to protect themselves from the unknown and from financial devastation. Some forms of insurance are liability policies that protect you from financial responsibility if you cause an accident or someone gets hurt on your property. Other kinds of insurance protect you from losses.

Most homeowner’s policies will cover an injury by a visitor but will also pay for repairs to your home if there is a major fire or you become the victim of a burglary. Your insurance is a form of protection, but that doesn’t mean that you should view your insurance company as a protector ready to swoop in and save the day when something goes wrong for you.

Instead, you need to be realistic about the fact that your claim makes you a liability for them. You will probably want help when dealing with the insurance company when you have a major claim at stake.

Insurance companies will try to trick or manipulate you

If the company can get you to admit fault or accept a lower amount of compensation than you truly deserve, they end up saving money. The professional handling your claim will likely explore all possible legal avenues to reduce how much they pay you.

They might require that you give a recorded statement and then ask you questions intended to get you to implicate yourself in some way. They might make you a settlement offer that initially seems appropriate but on further review actually leaves you with a lot of uncovered expenses. If you don’t get advice and support while dealing with them, you could fall victim to these unethical efforts.

You may not know how to handle aggressive negotiation tactics

Insurance adjusters will do everything they can to take your power away and make you feel like you have to accept whatever they to offer you.

Your adjuster might refuse to return your phone call, make low-ball offers to contractors repairing your house or try to convince you that they have fewer obligations to you than they really do. Having a professional there who understands negotiation can put you in a position to better advocate for yourself and avoid falling victim to aggressive tactics.

A lawyer will not only be able to help you put a reasonable price on your claim and guide you through recorded statements, but they can also help you with negotiations and advise you when taking the issue to court instead of settling is in your best interest. In other words, getting the right help can increase your success when pursuing compensation through an insurance claim.

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