What You Need To Know About Insurance Companies When You Are Injured
Brian O Sutter
Personal Injury
Being injured is something that can lead to a serious struggle in anyone's life. That's because not only do you end up having to recover from your injuries physically and mentally, but you're also left trying to figure out how to balance your finances as well. When you're seriously injured, you'll have major medical bills to pay as well as the potential for lost wages at work. Those lost wages can make it difficult to keep your current bills paid. In short, one accident can destroy your financial stability and bring huge amounts of undue stress onto your shoulders.
Insurance is designed to alleviate those financial burdens, and for many, it will work - at least to some degree. But there are numerous things that you might not realize regarding insurance companies. They could work with you, but often you'll find that an insurance company makes it harder than it should be to get the financial recovery you need.
It's All About The Bottom Line
The simple fact is that insurance companies are just that - companies. And like any business, their primary focus is on their bottom line. The more money that they have to pay out in settlements, the more of an impact it will have on their profit margin.
In other words, insurance companies will do whatever they can to avoid paying you anymore than they have to. And because they have a deeper bank account and a pool of resources at their disposal, it's much easier for them to do so. While there are indeed occasions where an insurance company will payout what they should and work to help their clients, there are countless tales of battles against insurance companies - battles that the injured have to take simply because they have no other option.
The Many Tactics
There are numerous ways that insurance companies go about avoiding paying out settlements to those who have claims against them. Some of the more common methods include the following.
- Stalling, forcing the injured to fill out endless parades of forms and documents - some that may not even be needed.
- Outright refusal of a claim using vague wording or trying to say that the injured party doesn't deserve restitution or that the injured party is actually to blame.
- Offering low settlement amounts that are far less than what is really owed. When offered a settlement after months of waiting, many will take it - even if it doesn't cover all of their medical expenses.
And these are just a few of the numerous tactics that insurance companies use when trying to avoid paying out claims. They may use one or all of them if you've been injured, and it can make the road to recovery much longer and more difficult than it should be.
The Difference An Attorney Makes
Luckily, those who are injured do have a way to stand up to the insurance companies. By turning to a personal injury attorney, you can help ensure that you get the compensation that you are owed. A good personal injury lawyer will have a major impact on your claim, including:
- Showing the insurance companies that you are serious and that you can't be pushed around.
- Ensuring that you don't agree to any settlements that are less than what you deserve.
- Using a variety of resources to show that you deserve compensation.
- Speeding up the time it takes to get your financial restitution.
- If needed, arguing your case in court.
With an attorney, most personal injury cases never go to trial. That's because once you have legal representation, the insurance companies know that their options are more limited. The bottom line is simple - if you're injured in an accident that wasn't your fault, contacting an attorney should be one of your absolute top priorities.