Accidents in the US are a common occurrence. Not only in the US, but it is also common in all developed and developing countries. The growth in industries and IT sectors is a major reason for this increase in accidents.
Generally, the number of automobiles on the road also increased. So, it is really hard to avoid accidents. Moreover, minor accidents are a daily routine nowadays. Accidents can be both minor and fatal. It is every driver’s duty to keep them and others on the road safe.
But what happens after an accident? How do you recover from it? Health recovery is not a problem in the US. America has some of the best doctors in the world. But the financial damages an accident can cause cannot be recovered easily. Even though the US has great doctors, they are not cheap. The financial damages are just too high.
To recover the financial damages, the victim of the accident should turn to the insurance company. The insurance company will offer compensation for your injuries.
If the insurance company is offering compensation, it must be easy to recover, right? Sadly, no. The problem is insurance company’s goal is to generate profit for their company. To do that, they need to lower the compensation amount for you. So, they will not be willing to pay the total amount to compensate for your damages.
Insurance companies will try to lower the compensation amount by whatever means. But many victims will not even know that they are being cheated. That is why it is important to consult a lawyer even after the insurance company offered you a settlement. One more tip, never accept the first offer from the insurance company. Because the offer will be lower than the financial damages you incurred by accident. Accepting the first offer will result in further damages.
State Farm is like any other insurance company in that it always wants to pay as little as it can to car accident victims. To achieve this, the company will employ lots of dirty secrets, including using your own words against you.
Keep reading so you can know these sneaky tactics upfront and avoid being trapped by them in the event that you are seeking compensation from State Farm.
Source: patrickmalonelaw.com
Contents
Secret 1: Handing Claims to a Team of Adjusters
State Farm always hands claim to a “Team” of adjusters so they can escape the need to offer you a fair value in the event that you are involved in a car accident. With that said, here is what to do to avoid being snared by this secret – file a lawsuit.
If you file a lawsuit, the company will reassign your claim to a dedicated individual adjuster who is higher up the ladder. And this means it is likely to better the offer.
Secret 2: Using Your Words Against You
This normally comes in the form of recorded statements. State Farm will always want to take a verbal statement from you. Their adjusters come up with questions designed to produce answers that best suit the needs of the company at your expense.
What’s even worse, a State Farm adjuster may behave like recording a statement is a part of the claim process. To escape this, simply seek the services of an attorney. Almost 100% of the time, a car accident lawyer will deny the request for a recorded statement. By so doing, the lawyer will effectively prevent State Farm from using your words against you.
Source: florinroebig.com
Secret 3: Looking for Pre-exist Conditions
State Farm will dig deep into your past to find anything that proves that you have an underlying health issue. They do this so they can reduce your claim or, even worse, completely deny it. Needless to say, make sure you take great care of the medical records you hand over to this insurance company.
You may also want to hire an injury accident lawyer to carefully review every request for medical records made by State Farm. Furthermore, you should note that an insurance company is not entitled to a full and comprehensive history of your medical records.
Secret 4: Buying Time Until You Become Desperate
Accident victims always find themselves under all kinds of financial pressure, and, unfortunately, insurance companies know this. State Farm is no exception; hence, in most cases, they will take as much time as possible to process your claim.
They know that your medical bills will start to pile over time. Also, you may find yourself struggling to cover your daily expenses, such as food, mortgage payments, and rent, given that you may not be in a position to work for weeks or even months. These financial pressures will eventually lead to you accepting a low settlement offer, much to State Farm’s delight.
Source: onmyside.com
Secret 5: Discouraging You from Being Legally Represented
It is no secret that State Farm adjusters hate dealing with experienced injury accident attorneys. That is because they know that these lawyers are well aware of their sneaky tactics and, therefore, will do everything legally right to make sure you are well compensated.
The company’s adjusters will quickly reach out to you after an auto accident telling you that acquiring the services of a lawyer will significantly reduce the amount of money you are destined to receive. They do this purposely because they know that having a legal team by your side is likely to lead to more compensation.
In Summary
One good thing about the above secrets of State Farm car accident claims is that you can avoid them all by hiring an experienced injury accident lawyer. A lawyer will advise you on the kind of information to share with State Farm as well as ensure you are well presented before the court. Click here to learn more about how a lawyer can protect you from falling victim to companies like State Farms. Remember, never take a decision without consulting a lawyer. Insurance frauds are not rare. Be careful.
