Insurance Claim Denial Tricks

You have just been hurt in an accident on one of the Valley freeways on your drive home from work. You think you have followed all the right steps; you immediately notified the police and your insurance company, you went straight to the emergency room, and you have followed all of your doctor’s orders. You are resting at home until the doctor gives you the “okay” to return to work, which should be in a few days. Now you are just waiting for the insurance company to accept your claims—but they only offer you a fraction of what you submitted.

Neither Neighborly nor Good Hands: Insurance Companies and Their Tricks

Most people love their insurance company until they are involved in an accident. Suddenly, the cheerful customer service representatives turn into calculating adjusters trying to low-ball you at every turn.

One of the ways your insurance company will try to pay you less in damages is by claiming you were liable for the accident. Arizona observes pure comparative negligence laws, which means that even if you were partially (or mostly) to blame, you may still collect a certain percentage of your damages. Your insurance company may try to claim that your percentage of fault was higher than it truly was, thereby awarding you less money.

Another trick that insurance companies use is requiring you to see one of their own recommended medical experts for an evaluation. Many people assume that this is par for the course—perhaps the same as sending an insurance adjuster to check out the damage to your car—and go along with it, only to have the insurance company’s approved doctor say that their injuries are less serious than the claim states.

If You Sense Trouble, Call an Attorney

Insurance adjusters are smart, savvy business people. While many mean well, their job is to pay out the least amount possible for each claim. If you sense that your insurance company is trying to poke holes in your claim in order to pay you less, a personal injury lawyer can help bolster your case by gathering concrete evidence of your injuries and the accident.

After an accident, do not risk settling for less that you deserve—contact Curry, Pearson & Wooten to schedule a free consultation with a personal injury lawyer today.