We write these blogs for many different reasons. Over the years, we’ve found that the more our clients know about the law, their cases and their situations, the better. With more knowledge, clients are able to make better decisions about their future. That includes in the case as well as with their financial future in general. One thing we often stress in these blogs is what the insurance companies do and why. In this blog, we’ll go over some more tactics that the insurance company may use against you as well as why they do so. We’ll also touch on how our personal injury attorney team can help.
By now, if you’ve been reading these blogs for any length of time, then you may know that the insurance company adjuster is not your friend. Certainly, they may seem like the friendliest person. Indeed, they probably are a genuinely friendly person. You may really get along with them; you may “click” with them. That being said, when you talk to them in the wake of an injury, they are not talking to you because they’re your friend. They sure aren’t speaking to you because you get along well, or because they want to meet someone new. They’re talking to you on behalf of the insurance company.
It’s also important to define what “on behalf of the insurance company” means in these context. For many, the initial assumption is that it means “the adjuster is speaking to me so that the insurance company can make sure to give me what my case is worth.” That would be great if it were the case. Indeed, our job would be significantly easy were that so. Unfortunately, when we say “they’re talking to you on behalf of the insurance company,” we mean “they’re trying to figure out ways to make sure you get less money than your claim is worth.”
Hearing that can be harsh. It can be a difficult thing to internalize because we all want to believe that the people we talk to are trying to help us. Additionally, it can be especially difficult to internalize that when you’re recovering from an injury and likely in a weakened and wounded state. A good rule of thumb to keep in mind: just remember that everything the adjuster does is for the betterment of the insurance company, not you. When you interact with them, keep that in mind at all times. As long as you’re focused on asking yourself “how is this thing they’re talking to me about helping the insurance company” you can be protected.
Of course, the best way to protect yourself from the insurance companies is to reach out to our firm. This is especially true if they offer you a settlement. The last thing you would ever want to do is sign a settlement from the insurance companies without letting an attorney look at it first. The reasons for that are multiple, but the biggest reason is that it’s invariably a low offer. That first offer they make isn’t their best one. They’re pressuring you to sign as quickly as possible because they don’t want an attorney to look at it and tell you that it’s a low offer. So, when they offer you the settlement, ask yourself: “how does this help the insurance company make money?” Then, you’ll see the answer.
Depending on the adjuster, the case and the situation, the adjuster may try to say something to you like: “don’t talk to attorneys; they’ll just take all of your money.” This bit of verbal jujitsu tries to hide the fact that the insurance company is committed to making sure you get as little money as possible. That’s how their entire business model works. Our business model, as a personal injury law firm, is exactly the opposite. We’re trying to get you as much money as possible. Indeed, we don’t get paid unless you do. It’s in our best interest, in every sense of the phrase to get you as much money as possible. One side wants you to have more money, the other less.
The LA Injury Group has been around for a while now. In that time, we’ve made a reputation we’re proud of. We’re proud of our track record in getting our clients the compensation they deserve for their cases. By that same token, we’re proud of how we’ve taken on insurance companies on behalf of our clients and gotten big settlements. Indeed, we’ve managed to get our clients big settlements in negotiations as well as winning in the courtroom. We’ve also found that those two go hand in hand, and are another reason to reach out to our law firm.
For example, when you’re talking to the insurance adjuster, they may say something like: “It doesn’t matter to me if you settle or not.” They may also say something like: “well, it’s your call. I mean, it doesn’t matter to me or the insurance company if you hire an attorney and the case goes to trial.” That’s not true. It does matter to them. Indeed, part of the insurance adjuster’s job is to get you to settle. The insurance company employs them so that the insurance company can make as much money as possible. The adjuster does that when they get you to sign a deal that’s less than your case is worth. They can also do that by getting you to settle.
When a case goes on longer and longer (or even then goes to the courtroom) it costs the insurance company more money. This is more money the insurance company has to shell out for attorneys and the like. As in all things, the insurance company does not like to spend money. They really don’t. So, they want to settle. They know exactly how much your claim is worth and they operate accordingly. That means they’ll keep trying to get you to take less than it’s worth.
By that same token, the insurance company, if they don’t respect your attorneys or see them as a threat, has no problem going to trial. After all, what would they be concerned about? In this circumstance, they aren’t worried about the additional fees that their attorneys will accrue, since the insurance company will make that money back up in their inevitable courtroom win. Or alternately, they’ll make that money back when the court hands down a judgment that’s still less than what the claim is worth. When the insurance company isn’t worried about your attorneys, they’re fine with waiting things out.
The LA Injury Group, on the other hand, has won in court many times against the insurance companies. Insurance companies know that their odds of besting us in court are not good. So, they will go even further to make sure that doesn’t happen. That means that they’re far more motivated than they might be otherwise to actually negotiate with us fairly. Due to our track record of success in the courtroom, the insurance companies offer us settlements in negotiation they wouldn’t otherwise. This is one more way that we can use our expertise and reputation to make things better for our clients.
We know how hard it is after you’ve been through a bad injury. Between not being able to work how you did before (or maybe not being able to go back to work at all for a while) the entire world can feel different. That’s where the LA Injury Group comes in. We can help you to get all of the compensation you deserve for everything that you have to go through. To set up a free consultation and begin the process, give us a call at (818) 240-1800 or head to our site.