After a car accident, the most common way insurance firms deceive consumers is by proposing lowball reimbursement amounts. Companies would offer lowball sums rather than complete coverage in the hopes that clients will take the bait and sign the contract. It’s difficult to go back and get the full amount without resorting to legal action once a client has approved the deal.
It’s crucial to remember that each insurance plan is unique, and many consumers are unaware of what their policies cover. As a result, there’s a distinction to be made between an insurance firm lowballing you and misinterpreting a policy.
If you are wounded in an auto accident and an insurance company gives you money, regardless of the policy, you should seek the advice of a personal injury lawyer. Free consultations are available at the Suzuki Law Offices, so we can examine your case at no cost to you.
Can you lie to insurance companies?
If you lie to your insurance company, you could be denied coverage, have your rates raised, or face fines, community service, or even prison time.
It makes no difference whether you misled on purpose or by accident to your insurance company; insurers can still refuse coverage and pursue other fines.
Making a false vehicle insurance claim is considered hard fraud and is a felony, whereas misrepresenting personal information is called soft fraud.
What should you not say to an insurance company?
Many people already know this, but it’s worth repeating: you should never accept fault. “It was my fault,” “I’m sorry,” and “I apologize” are all expressions to avoid. Don’t apologize to your insurance company, the other driver, or the police.
These words and phrases will be used against you even if you are only being nice and not knowingly admitting blame.
I think
Always stick to the facts while dealing with insurance providers. Make no statements that begin with “I believe” or “in my view.” If your insurer asks you a subject about which you are unsure, don’t respond with a guess or an opinion.
Any of your responses could be used to refute your assertion, so don’t say anything that isn’t true.
I’m fine
If you’re asked about your injuries, don’t declare you’re alright or that you haven’t had any until you’ve seen a doctor. Some injuries may not be obvious right once, and adrenaline may prevent you from experiencing them at all.
After an accident, arrange an appointment with a doctor and create a list of any injuries that are discovered. Also, don’t sign any medical releases until you’ve spoken with your lawyer.
Names
Give no names or contact information for others to your insurance carrier, including family members, friends, or your doctor. Insurance companies may attempt to contact these people in order to obtain additional information about the accident and your rehabilitation.
Recorded statements
Only the insurance company’s interests, not yours, are served by recorded statements. Inconsistencies and contradictory information are thoroughly reviewed in recorded statements. Keep in mind that you are not required to submit a recorded statement because information you supply may be taken out of context and used against you.
If your automobile accident lawyer tells you to, just give an official recorded statement.
Unnecessary details
Don’t give out information that hasn’t been requested. If you’re not asked how fast you were travelling, for example, there’s no need to say anything. Don’t say anything about your automobile being customized or that you’re using it for ride-sharing. Keep superfluous details to yourself because they could be used against you.
I don’t have an attorney
Insurers may try to take advantage of you if they know you don’t have a personal injury attorney. If you don’t have an attorney, don’t say anything about it and obtain legal advice as soon as possible.
This information may lead to insurance treating your claim with more care and respect if you have a car accident attorney.
I accept
Your insurance company may try to make you a rapid settlement, but these are nearly always lowball offers that they hope you’ll take out of desperation. Before accepting a settlement, contact a skilled automobile accident attorney who will be able to negotiate a fair settlement on your behalf.
I have whiplash
People attempting to file false claims frequently say, “I have whiplash.” As a result, whiplash is a huge red signal for insurance companies, prompting them to investigate your claim further. Do not claim to have whiplash unless a doctor has diagnosed it.
Do insurance companies spy on you?
“Is the insurance company permitted to follow and watch me?” our clients have inquired in the past. Many personal injury claimants have legitimate concerns about this. They are not only dealing with terrible injuries, but they also have to worry about the insurance company watching and analyzing their every move.
Many vehicle accident damage claimants believe it is exceedingly unjust for the insurance company to keep an eye on them after the insured has injured them. The insurance company, on the other hand, is focused on paying as little as possible for your injuries. As a result, insurance firms have a reputation for spying on clients in order to gather material that could weaken the personal injury claim.
Can the Insurance Company Legally Spy on a Claimant?
Yes, an insurance company can engage a private investigator to follow you around while you are out in public. However, if the private investigator follows or spies on you in a place where you have a legitimate expectation of privacy, legal concerns may develop.
The distinction between public and private space might be difficult to draw. Spying on someone in their home, for example, is almost certainly a violation of their privacy. A private investigator, on the other hand, can keep an eye on you when you’re putting out the trash. Essentially, this means that a private investigator can observe you as long as you are in a public location, such as a sidewalk. It may be illegal for a private investigator to watch you in places where you have a reasonable expectation of privacy, such as your home or attorney’s office.
Contact an experienced personal injury lawyer at Riddle & Brantley for a FREE consultation if you feel the insurance company hired a private investigator to follow you around after a car accident.
While it may be legal for insurance firms to snoop on you in public, there are some places where you should expect privacy. Our firm has dealt with insurance companies spying on clients on several occasions, and we would gladly assist you in navigating through this stressful situation.
“Will the insurance company ‘spy’ on me?
Insurance companies, for the most part, will not spy on claimants who have suffered serious injuries and whose guilt is evident. However, as social media has grown in popularity, insurance firms have begun to monitor personal injury claimants online.
Claimants’ Facebook, Instagram, and other social media platform posts have been known to be combed through by insurance defense lawyers. The insurance company visits these locations to acquire evidence that the claimant is not as seriously injured as he or she claims. For these reasons, it’s critical that you don’t post anything about your injuries on social media, and that you limit who has access to your accounts.
Protecting Your Online Privacy and Legal Rights
Insurance companies and defense attorneys have recently used social media posts to try to discredit personal injury claims, according to Riddle and Brantley. If you’ve recently filed a personal injury claim, read the suggestions below to avoid insurance companies exploiting your social media post.
- After an accident, use extreme caution while sharing anything on social media. While your claim is active, we advise customers not to publish any photographs or videos on social media. We don’t want to provide the insurance company with any information that they can use against you.
- If you still want to use social media, make sure you utilize the most restrictive privacy settings possible. You can limit who has access to your social media pages, limiting the information and content that the insurance company or private investigator has access to.
- Carefully select your friends and followers. Accepting just any friend or follower request is a bad idea. Check to see if the person attempting to follow you is someone you know. Insurance firms may attempt to track you in order to acquire access to your accounts.
- Keep sharable material in mind. Limit the number of people who can tag you in a post. Another way the insurance companies can obtain evidence against you is by finding posts about you that others have shared.
- Take your lawyer’s advise. Even though social media is one of the most common ways we contact with one another, it’s vital to keep your social media usage to a minimum during a personal injury case. Posts made before or after an accident can have a significant impact on your claim. You can minimize how much the insurance companies can use against you by following your attorney’s recommendations.
Do insurance adjusters lie?
Yes, insurance adjusters are permitted to tell you lies. Many people are even encouraged to do so. When an adjuster knows their driver is culpable for the accident, they may tell you that he or she isn’t. They might say that they haven’t been able to contact the other driver for weeks, or that they’re “still investigating” after two months… They’ll even tell you up front that they’re taking complete responsibility, just to shift 50 percent of the burden back to you once you’ve finished treating and are ready to settle.
The truth is that the insurance company regards you as an easy target if you don’t have an attorney. They’ve defended thousands of cases just like yours and are well-versed in all the tricks of the trade. I strongly advise you to take anything they say with a grain of salt, as someone who deals with insurance companies on a daily basis. Always be suspicious, and never agree to anything in relation to your personal injury claim without first consulting an attorney.
Is lying to insurance a crime?
A fake insurance claim can land you in jail, cost you a lot of money, and leave you with a lasting criminal record.
It may seem like a smart idea at the moment, but lying to your insurance company is a type of insurance fraud. According to the Insurance Institute of Canada, insurance fraud causes customers to spend 5 to 15% more for their auto insurance premiums than they would otherwise. Car insurance fraud costs Canadian taxpayers more than $1 billion per year, and some industry estimates suggest it might be even higher.
Can you sue an insurance company for lying?
You have several options when it comes to filing a lawsuit against your insurance company. It’s worth noting that you can sue your insurer for multiple reasons.
Suing an Insurance Company for Negligence
Negligence is defined as a failure to act or comply with the requirements of a legal agreement from a legal standpoint. You may be able to sue an insurer for gross negligence, which is defined as a failure to act that leads to a disregard for safety.
If your insurance acted or failed to act in a way that caused you harm, you can sue them for negligence or gross negligence:
- You can claim for negligence if your insurance agent fails to offer the coverage you requested or fails to advise you of your options.
- If your insurance company neglected to explain or misrepresented about what your policy covers, you could file a negligence case. You might claim for deception if they lied about your coverage.
- If your insurance fails to fulfill its obligations, you might initiate a negligence case. It can include not responding to a claim or appeals letter or failing to perform a thorough inquiry.
- You could claim for negligence if your insurance provider failed to warn you that they were going bankrupt or that your coverage was about to expire.
How do I maximize my insurance claim?
It’s also up to you to manage your claim and ensure that you receive full compensation for all you’re entitled to under your homeowners insurance policy’s conditions.
The procedure of filing a property insurance claim is complicated, and the higher the loss, the more complicated it becomes. To get the most out of your homeowners insurance claim, follow these four guidelines.
Base who you trust on reality, not TV
The insurance business spends over a billion dollars each year trying to persuade you that they are your friend, your neighbor, and the one you can count on when calamity strikes. Every year, the courts hear case after case in which insurance firms take advantage of homeowners by decreasing claim compensation to boost profits.
Even the friendliest insurance representative is not your friend, and not every insurance company will undercut your settlement offer. He or she has a job to accomplish, and part of that duty is to maximize company profits while avoiding losses, which is naturally in opposition to your best interests.
Consult a licensed public insurance adjuster if you have issues regarding your homeowners insurance claim.
Show that you know
Demonstrating your ability to advance your property insurance claim through the process sends a strong message to your insurance company and claims adjuster that you will not be exploited. To be successful, you’ll need to:
- Follow your policy’s claim procedure, making sure you follow all of your contractual duties and deadlines.
- Create a claim strategy based on your knowledge of your policy’s coverages, endorsements, exclusions, and policy limits.
Be diligent
The process of filing a property insurance claim is complicated, time-consuming, and frustrating.
When you need to be thorough, persistent, and strong, things that work against you.
When things get tough, remind yourself that it’s all part of a process that follows a set of steps:
- Debris removal, as well as recording and valuing your losses for your Proof of Loss statement
- Providing receipts for all covered Additional Living Expenses, as well as the difference between the Actual Cash Value you were awarded for your destroyed personal property and the Replacement Cost Value you spent to replace it, if applicable.
Get expert help if you need it
A public insurance adjuster is a licensed professional who can advocate entirely for you throughout your homes insurance claim procedure, much like you might contact a CPA for complex tax concerns or an attorney for legal issues.
Your homeowners insurance must cover the costs of restoring your house to its pre-loss condition. If you have any doubts about your capacity to maximize your insurance settlement offer, you should speak with a professional public insurance adjuster in your state.
Do insurance companies talk to each other?
While car insurance firms do not communicate directly with one another, they do share data. A database called the Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange gives all vehicle insurance providers access to your claims history (CLUE). Other similar statistics will be used to determine your risk.