When you’ve been injured due to someone else’s negligence, you expect fair compensation to help with medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Unfortunately, insurance companies often employ sophisticated tactics designed to reduce their financial liability and protect their bottom line. These companies train their adjusters to sound sympathetic while simultaneously working to pay you as little as possible—or nothing at all—regardless of the severity of your injuries or financial hardship.
At Hollis Law Firm, we understand how insurance companies operate when handling personal injury claims. Our attorney has 15 years of experience dealing with insurance adjusters and their strategies, giving us insight into how to effectively counter their tactics. We may be able to help you navigate the claims process and fight for fair compensation.
Common Insurance Company Tactics
Insurance companies have developed numerous strategies to minimize their financial responsibility in personal injury cases. Recognizing these tactics is the first step toward protecting your interests during the claims process.
After an accident, insurance adjusters may contact you quickly, often within days or even hours. This early outreach isn’t necessarily a sign of good customer service. Instead, adjusters aim to obtain recorded statements before you’ve had time to understand the full extent of your injuries or consult with an attorney. These statements can later be used to undermine your claim if there are any inconsistencies with subsequent medical findings.
Insurance companies also frequently delay claims processing, knowing that financial pressure may force injured parties to accept lower settlements. This strategy proves particularly effective when victims face mounting medical bills and lost income due to their injuries.
Other common tactics include:
- Requesting unnecessary documentation repeatedly to extend the claims timeline
- Disputing the severity of injuries despite clear medical evidence
- Suggesting that your injuries existed before the accident
- Monitoring your social media accounts for posts that could contradict your injury claims
- Using complex policy language to justify claim denials
- Pressuring you to accept quick, lowball settlement offers before you understand your long-term needs
These practices can leave injured individuals without the resources needed for proper recovery, especially when facing long-term medical care requirements.
The Lowball Settlement Offer Strategy
One of the most prevalent tactics insurance companies employ is the early, inadequate settlement offer. These offers typically arrive before you’ve completed medical treatment or fully understood your injury’s long-term impact.
Initial settlement proposals rarely account for ongoing medical care, future lost wages, or pain and suffering. Insurance adjusters present these offers as “fair and reasonable” while emphasizing the benefits of quick resolution. They may suggest that rejecting the offer could result in getting nothing or facing lengthy litigation.
What makes these early offers particularly problematic is their timing. When you’re dealing with physical pain, emotional distress, and financial uncertainty, the promise of any compensation can seem appealing. Insurance companies understand this vulnerability and use it to their advantage.
The Independent Medical Examination Tactic
Insurance companies frequently require claimants to undergo what they call “independent” medical examinations (IMEs). Despite the name, these examinations are typically conducted by doctors selected and paid by the insurance company.
These physicians may minimize your injuries, suggest they’re unrelated to the accident, or recommend less expensive treatment options. Their opinions often contradict those of your treating physicians but carry significant weight in the claims process because of their credentials and supposed objectivity.
How an Attorney Can Level the Playing Field
When you’re facing the resources and experience of a large insurance company, having knowledgeable legal representation becomes crucial. An attorney familiar with personal injury claims can recognize and counter insurance company tactics while advocating for your best interests.
Our attorney knows how to document injuries properly, calculate appropriate compensation that includes future needs, and negotiate effectively with insurance adjusters. We understand how to frame your case in terms that maximize its value while preparing thoroughly should litigation become necessary.
Contact a Kansas City Personal Injury Attorney Today
If you’re dealing with an insurance company after an injury, don’t face them alone. Hollis Law Firm may be able to help you receive the compensation you deserve rather than what the insurance company wants to pay. Our attorney has 15 years of experience fighting for clients’ rights in both Kansas and Missouri.
We understand the strategies insurance companies use and how to effectively counter them to protect your interests. To discuss your case and learn about your legal options, call us at (800) 701-3672 or complete our contact form.
