Avoiding Car Insurance Company Bad Faith Tactics

From suffering debilitating injuries to the financial woes you may experience, getting into an accident can set your entire life back.The financial complications car accident victims face are often resolved through insurance companies. While the insurance company may seem like it is on your side and doing its best to help you; you need to be aware that most companies prefer to benefit themselves.

After sustaining an injury in a car accident, if you or a loved one are facing bad faith tactics with an insurance company, you should contact our experienced team at Lynch Law Firm, PC to communicate with the insurance carrier. Our legal team can communicate with the carrier, determine if the company is acting in bad faith and identify the best method to proceed through these issues.

What are Bad Faith Tactics?

An insurance company that does not want to offer a full settlement for a valid claim may use certain tactics to get out of paying the entire amount even if the policy explains how much you should receive after the accident. These tactics are even more distressing when you have bills to pay and are not able to work. Naturally, you may even become desperate and accept anything to resolve the matter. Some bad faith tactics include:

Delays

The carrier may start with delaying offers or delay sending payment. These delays cause you to pay out of pocket for expensive medical bills and repairs on the vehicle in addition to your daily living expenses.

Failure to Conduct a Thorough Investigation

The carrier may only check a few issues involved in the accident and determine how much compensation to offer based on these factors, rather than conducting a thorough investigation to assess a reasonable and complete settlement offer. Without all the important and relevant elements analyzed, the insurance company will not have a full picture of the accident and cannot determine a proper value for damages.

Offering Less Money

After a car accident, the insurance carrier will send an adjuster to determine how much money the company can offer. This usually leads to the first low-ball offer that is substantially less than what is necessary and that would provide a full recovery for all relevant damages incurred.

What to Avoid

You will need to look for signs that the insurance company is acting in bad faith. The adjuster may press for a recorded or written statement or even prompt you to sign certain documents that are not necessary to process the claim. Some of these documents involve waiving the right to sue or pursue more compensation based on all factors of the claim.

Signing a Medical Authorization

The adjuster may request a blanket medical authorization form to acquire personal medical details. These include the following:

• Medical records from all medical professionals ever visited
• Information regarding prior injuries, conditions and illnesses
• Treatment, symptoms, and pain and suffering from prior incidents and trauma in previous accidents
• Identification of pre-existing injuries

Giving a Recorded Statement

The insurance adjuster will contact you shortly after the accident to request a recorded statement. The company may engage in the following tactics regarding this statement:

• Use your words against you
• Twist the story to fit the insurance offer
• Misconstrue certain details
• Deny or devalue the claim
• Apply these details to assign fault to you

Contact a Qualified Lawyer Today

After a car accident causes injury, property damage and trauma, you or a loved one will need the support and assistance that a New Jersey car accident lawyer from Lynch Law Firm, PC can supply. Our legal team can explain what tactics the insurance company may use that involve bad faith. We will investigate the claim, determine which factors apply and pursue the most compensation available in your claim.

Our services are provided on contingency so there are no fees unless we are successful with your case.

Contact us today at (800) 518-0508 to start your no-obligation, free case review.