If you have ever heard the phrase “what you say can be used against you” then you are absolutely correct. Especially when it comes to interacting with insurance companies after a car accident.
What Should I Want After Suffering an Injury in a Car Accident?
To heal properly and return to your quality of life. This isn’t a selfish or unreasonable desire, and you have every right to get back to the quality of life you had prior to your car accident. The means and resources to help you achieve this can be obtained in an accident settlement and with the assistance of an attorney that has deep experience in car accident injury law.What Does the Insurance Company Want After My Car Accident?
Simply put…to pay you the least amount possible for your injuries, pain and suffering, wage loss, medical bills, and more. The tactics they can use to achieve this can be subtle. However, when the victim is steered into answering questions that can be used against them, it creates a narrative that can lead to a much lower settlement than what is actually deserved.What Types Questions Do Insurance Companies Ask That Could Be Used Against Me?
Below are some real-world examples of the types of questions insurance companies will ask a car accident victim that can be used to lower a settlement amount.- How are you today? Simply by saying “I’m fine” might be used against you.
- Did you report any injury to the police? Often, injuries from a car accident can manifest later and insurance companies can take this as an indication that you are not injured at all.
- Why didn’t you go to your Primary Care Doctor? This isn’t a requirement sometimes isn’t very useful. Primary care providers aren’t specialists for pain management and other aspects of medical care that apply directly to how a car accident would seek treatment for their injuries.
- Is someone helping you out at home? You may in fact need help. However, insurance companies ask you this question right away after an accident to try and establish that you don’t need help even before you realize how injured you are because it is often that people start feeling pain a day or two after an accident. So, if they can get an admission from you that you don’t need assistance at home, this can lower the accident settlement amount.
- Do you have any major injuries? What is a major injury? This is something that should be left to be diagnosed by medical professionals and not by you or the insurance company. People often take this to mean having broken bones caused by a car accident, but injuries such as nerve damage, muscle strains, and more can be serious despite not having any broken bones.