After you’ve suffered a serious injury, one of your first steps to supporting yourself should be to file a claim with your insurance company. The right insurance settlement can keep you on your feet until a time that you’re able to return to work. Unfortunately, not every insurer will have your best interests at heart, and they may deny your claim for reasons that seem arbitrary and unfair.
If you’re having trouble negotiating with your insurance company, it can be important to prepare for the numerous ways they will try to limit or deny your claim. Here are a few ways insurance companies may try to undercut your insurance claim and advice for when you need legal help to get your payout.
Denying Liability
For injuries caused by circumstances like car accidents, one of your primary duties in receiving an insurance settlement is to prove negligence. In order to limit or deny your payout, an insurance company will often try to claim that it was your behavior, not that of the other driver, that led to your injury. Even if you are able to prove negligence, an insurer may still insist that you are at least partly responsible, which will reduce or eliminate their liability.
During negotiations or a trial, be prepared for the insurer to attack your behavior in an effort to prove you were responsible for your own injury.
Claiming Your Injury isn’t Severe Enough
As a matter of business, most insurers will try to limit your payout, even if you are clearly entitled to your claim. One of the most common ways an insurer will attempt to reduce the level of your claim will be to state that your injury isn’t severe enough to warrant a large payout. Typically, the insurance company will hire a doctor to give you an examination and this doctor will then testify that your injuries were not as severe as initially reported
To avoid this circumstance, make sure to document your injuries and your treatment as fully as possible so that you can defend against any attempts to minimize your injury.
Ignoring Evidence
In almost all legal cases, including fighting for an insurance claim, gathering the proper amount of evidence is key, and evidence is the final way that an insurance company may try to deny the claim that you so sorely need. Many insurers will claim that you have not provided sufficient evidence to prove your case, which means they won’t be able to fulfill your claim.
Immediately following your injury, make sure to get a substantial amount of evidence, including police reports and eyewitness accounts, if they are available. With the right evidence, it will be much harder for your insurer to deny your rightful payment.
Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer
Dealing with an insurance company following an injury can be one of the most stressful circumstances a person can find themselves in, especially if the insurer is trying to deny a claim. If you’re having trouble getting your insurance claim, then you need the help of the knowledgeable legal team at the Disparti Law Group Accident & Injury Lawyers. Our attorneys know how to stand up to the insurance companies and fight for your deserved settlement. Contact us today.
