Claiming insurance is essential after most car crashes of any significance. The problem is that it can be a very frustrating and difficult experience.
This is because insurers can intentionally make it so. Here are some of the things they may do:
1. Blaming you for the crash
The more of the blame that is attributed to you in a crash, the less compensation you will be able to claim. For example, in California, if you are due $100,000 but are found to be 40% at fault, you’ll only receive $60,000. Insurers will therefore go to great lengths to put more blame on you, as it can save them a lot of money.
2. Making an early settlement offer
An insurer ringing up and offering to settle there and then can be hard to resist. It can get you the money to fix your car up and pay your immediate medical bills allowing you to get on with life. The problem is, that things often end up costing far more than you imagine. It’s impossible to know how well you will recover so soon after a crash. You can only ever be sure with the benefit of hindsight. Their offer might sound generous, but it isn’t. The only reason they are making that offer is because they know persuading you to accept it could save them a lot more.
3. Ignoring and delaying claims
Have you ever heard people say that if you ignore a problem long enough it will go away? Insurers sometimes try this tactic with claimants. They make the claims process so difficult that some people just give up and leave empty-handed.
Insurers are not easy to deal with, so it’s often better to have someone handle your case for you who has the experience and legal knowledge to push for what you rightly deserve.