Los Angeles Personal Injury Attorneys

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Top 4 Insurance Claim Mistakes you Should Avoid

If you plan to file an accident injury claim, you should put in mind that you need to be cautious about dealing with the insurance company.

Insurance companies are still private companies whose goal is to make as much profit as they can.

To do this, they try to find holes in claims so that they can either deny the claim or reduce the payment to be given.

And if a claimant is not well informed, it is highly likely that they will agree to a small accident injury settlement without knowing that they actually deserve more.
To prevent that, here are some of the most common mistakes done by claimants when making an accident insurance claim:


Saying that you are just fine
Never ever say to an insurance adjuster that you are unhurt after the accident before seeing a doctor.

If you have said that you are fine after the accident then the doctor discovers that you have injuries, your statement will seriously hamper your ability to collect from the insurance company since they will argue that you already told them that you have no injuries after the accident.

If asked by the insurance adjuster, tell them that you have to see a doctor first.
Agree to the first settlement offer

Avoid the temptation of agreeing to an early settlement just for the sake of ending the whole thing.

The only one who wins in early settlements is the insurance company because more than likely, that first offer is way smaller than the real value of your claim.
You should politely decline the first offer and tell the adjuster that you will need to consult with your doctor and your lawyer before giving an estimate.
Agree that you may have been at fault

You have to really watch what you say around insurance adjusters because you may think that your statement is harmless without knowing that you have admitted to some fault in an accident.

For example, if you were asked if you could have done something to prevent an accident and you answered that there is, then you just have admitted that you were negligent in some way.

Not getting a personal injury lawyer
All these mistakes could easily be avoided if you have a specialist who is knowledgeable about applicable laws to guide you.

A Los Angeles personal injury lawyer can help you and guide you throughout the claims process to make sure that you get the most out of your personal injury claim.
Consult with a Los Angeles Law Firm for more information.

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