If you have been injured in a Rhode Island car accident, you are likely dealing with insurance adjusters. During the personal injury claims process, it is important to recognize that while adjusters may seem friendly and eager to help, they are not your friends. In fact, it is in the best interest of the adjuster to make your claim go away or reduce your settlement.
The Game Adjusters Play
There are many strategies and techniques insurance adjusters may use to eliminate or limit your claim. Here are just a few you may run into during your claims process:
- The blame game: The adjuster may try to pin the fault on you. For example, the adjuster may claim that you did not attend to your injuries or get the necessary medical treatment right away, causing your injuries or symptoms to get worse.
Intimidation: The representative for the insurance company may ask a lawyer to write an opinion letter minimizing the value of your claim. The adjuster may then use this letter to rush you or intimidate you to accept their settlement.- Premiums: The adjuster may try to argue that the settlement of the claim must be minimized in order to keep your monthly premiums from going up.
- Taxes: Your adjuster may also try to convince you that your claim is being reduced because the damages that are being paid are not taxable. In such cases, the claims representative is taking credit for the percentage of taxes that you pay on your income.
- False settlement: A claims representative may flash a memo from his supervisor stating that your claim is worth only so much while knowing that the case is worth much more than that.
- Using your fears: If the adjuster finds out that you are afraid of going to a Rhode Island injury lawyer or taking your case to court, he may use that fear against you by offering you an unreasonably low settlement. He probably knows that you might take that offer rather than going to court or approaching an injury lawyer. If you are self-employed, the adjuster may try to tell you that you’re better off accepting his settlement rather than wasting your time with a complex claims process, thereby losing income and business opportunities.
- Refusing to pay expenses: The adjuster may refuse to pay for damages such as a rental vehicle, lost wages, or reimbursement for medical bills. The adjuster may also refuse to pay certain damages by citing insurance company’s internal policy.
Contacting an Experienced Injury Lawyer
It is part of the insurance company’s strategy to play hardball with victims. Insurance adjusters are trained to use your fears, insecurities, and vulnerabilities against you so they don’t have to pay you what your claim is really worth. This is why you need an experienced Rhode Island personal injury lawyer on your side who understands the game insurance companies play and fight them in court if necessary to help you secure fair and full compensation for all your losses. To schedule a free (no obligation) case evaluation, please call us toll-free at 1-800-992-6878.
Paul d’Oliveira
Attorney Paul d’Oliveira has been practicing personal injury and disability law for over 30 years. He started his personal injury law practice in 1989 with two offices in Fall River, MA and East Providence, RI. Today his firm has 16 offices in RI and Southeastern, MA.
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