Minimizing Payouts and Insurance Denials
All insurance companies like to make profits, including Oklahoma City insurance companies. As a result, insurance companies do not like to offer generous or fair compensation to the victim of an injury if they do not have to. Insurance is meant to spread the risk of loss among a pool of people so that when a person is injured, they can be fairly compensated. But all too often, insurance denials are the result when a person is injured.
However, without help, an insurance company will often either deny a person’s claim or offer a small settlement to avoid the cost of litigating that claim, hoping that an unrepresented client will accept the loss on their own. They are not supposed to do that, but they sometimes do.
The best way to ensure that you will be fairly compensated is to hire an experienced Oklahoma City personal injury attorney to handle your claim. An attorney is experienced in presenting strong claims, dealing with recalcitrant claims adjusters, and in resolving claims.
Insurance Companies Work to Minimize Payouts
An experienced insurance adjuster will use a number of tools to frame a claim in their favor. One of their favorite tools involves the recorded statement. An adjuster will often use leading questions in a recorded statement to minimize liability and damages. Most victims do not even know they are not required to give a recorded statement to an adjuster. Often the adjustor will try to get a statement immediately after an accident, at a time when people are in the middle of seeking medical help or are still shaken up by the accident itself. Once they have this information from the victim, it is difficult to mitigate any inferences that these answers to leading questions might involve.
It is always best to have your attorney talk to the adjuster rather than talking to them yourself. Remember – an insurance company is not on your side.
Insurance Company Denial Tactics
An experienced adjustor will also request your medical records. This may seem like a logical request, but complying may cost you. The adjustor is looking for issues in your medical records that can be used to minimize any medical claims. This could be a pre-existing condition, medications taken that could have contributed to the accident, or emotional and mental health issues that could have contributed to the accident or to your injuries.
It is always best to let your attorney handle any requests for medical records from an adjuster. Your attorney can discuss the pros and cons of turning over records with you and can handle the request if you decide to turn over records. In some cases, the insurance company may not need your records, and if they become necessary it is important to know that they are not entitled to all of your records.
It is also essential to know that an insurance adjuster is not a medical professional. Yet, an adjustor will often tell you that they are unwilling to pay for some or all of your medical treatment as they deem it “unnecessary.” If your doctor deems it necessary, it is.
Finally, it is important that you never accept or admit fault, whether that is at the scene of the accident, or in your dealings with an insurance company. And if an insurance company admits fault, do not believe that they are doing so with your best interests at heart. They are doing so, to woo you into turning over records that will enable them to minimize your claim.
How to Protect Your Claim Against Insurance Denials
To protect yourself against insurance denials, it is important to hire an attorney. An attorney is used to dealing with adjustors and knows the ins and outs of how adjustors operate. An attorney will understand the strengths and weaknesses of your claim and will know how to present those strengths in a way that makes an adjustor pay attention. Adjustors hate paying out on claims, but they also hate litigation costs. An experienced personal injury attorney knows how to use this leverage to your advantage.
Making the most of the case’s strengths is key.
Issues that may sway an adjustor include:
- The strength and credibility of the parties and other witnesses
- The facts that make liability clear
- The facts that make damages
- The severity of the injuries suffered
- The strength of the corroborating evidence
A skilled personal injury attorney in Oklahoma City can help you with all of this.
Free Consultation: Oklahoma City Personal Injury Attorney
You pay nothing for our representation in personal injury cases until we get you the compensation you deserve. Before we even start working on your case, we want you to know where you stand. A call to the Personal Injury Law Office of Oklahoma City costs you nothing, but the information you receive could be invaluable.
For a free, no-risk consultation with a knowledgeable Oklahoma City personal injury attorney, call today: (405) 716-4878 (716-HURT).
If you prefer, you may send your question via e-mail using the form at the top right of this page. We’ll get in touch with you as soon as possible. Don’t wait another minute to find out what you may be owed. Call the Personal Injury Law Office of Oklahoma City today!