When you have been involved in a car accident, consulting with insurance adjusters is a key part of the recovery process. Unfortunately, while you may believe that the insurance adjuster is on your side, chances are that she will use these tactics to try to devalue your claim in order to save the insurance company money.
Getting You to Admit Fault
Because Ohio is an at-fault insurance state, only the at-fault driver’s insurance company pays for damages; if you were at fault for the accident, the insurance company may try to reduce your damages amount, or withhold compensation from you altogether. The insurance adjuster may try to get you to admit fault, or may misconstrue a statement that you made—such as “I’m sorry”—as an admission of fault.
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Disproving Your Injuries
If you suffered injuries in a car accident and received medical treatment for those injuries, the insurance company will likely be responsible for paying for those medical bills. However, if the insurance adjuster can prove that the injuries you suffered from are a) not related to the car accident or b) not as severe as you presented them to be, the adjuster may be able to reduce your claim.
An insurance adjuster may use your previous medical records, information provided by your own social media account (i.e., a picture of you doing an activity that suggests you are not suffering from an injury), witness statements, and more to try to disprove your injuries.
Lowballing Your Settlement Offer
Finally, an insurance adjuster may try to devalue your claim simply by offering you a settlement amount that is much less than your claim is actually worth. For this reason, you should never accept a first settlement offer; instead, you should go back to the negotiating table and wait to accept an offer until it is enough to pay for all of your damages.
Note: Remember to include past, present, and future medical bills related to your injury in the settlement.
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An Ohio Car Accident Attorney Can Help You
An Ohio car accident attorney can help you deal with the insurance adjuster after a car accident, regardless of whether or not you were at fault. When you have suffered an injury, you deserve to have a legal professional on your side who will advocate for you. At Bressman Law, our Ohio car accident attorneys will not give up on your claim! If you need to recover compensation after a car accident, we are ready to meet with you today. Contact us at (614) 538-1116.
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