Recently updated on October 25th, 2022 at 11:02 am
You’ve been injured in a car accident, but your insurance company denies or reduces your car accident claim. You can do something about it–but you have to act quickly and start with the proper steps. A car insurance lawyer can help you find those steps and protect your interests.
Here are seven ways that insurance companies will try to deny or reduce your claim.
1. Denial of Claim:
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The first step an insurance company may take is to deny the accident ever occurred. This is a common practice, especially when multiple drivers are involved in the accident. If you were involved in an accident with a driver without insurance, you might have a tough time making your claim.
2. Misclassification:
Insurance companies use several tactics when classifying a person or situation as a “1” or “5”. The ways that an insurance company can misclassify your situation are as follows:
“1” and “5” classifications are used to determine what is considered a “major claim or injury.” A major claim can have a negative impact on your insurance premiums for the next three years.
3. Making the Claim Harder:
If an uninsured or underinsured driver caused your accident, the insurance company of that driver’s car could make your claim difficult. They may talk with you on the phone or in person, encouraging you to settle for less than you deserve.
4. Send You to a Biased Doctor:
If you are making a claim based on an injury, they may try and send you to a doctor they have used before. This can be a form of doctor shopping that has the potential to make your claim harder.
5. No Legal Liability:
The insurance company will often deny responsibility if you were injured in an accident. This is because they believe there is no legal liability in their hands. They might contact you and try and reduce your claim because it is not their responsibility to pay.
6. No Actual Injuries:
The insurance companies know that a certain percentage of minor accidents don’t merit a considerable payout (for example, being rear-ended). They will try and find any reason that a minor accident is not worth the payout, not to pay what you deserve.
7. Cover-Up Accident:
Another way that insurance companies use when they want to deny or reduce your car accident claim is by trying to cover up their conduct. They will hide information to prevent you from proceeding with a claim, making it more difficult for you to receive what you are entitled to due to an accident. In other cases, the insurance company may even use threats of a lawsuit to force a claimant into paying less than what is deserved.
Bottom Line
Insurance companies can be some of the most challenging people to work with regarding an accident. They have a lot of practices that they use to deny or reduce your claim. As a result, you may have to be diligent to receive the payout you deserve.
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