Understanding Insurance Company Tactics to Minimize Liability

If you’re injured in a car or other vehicle accident and the driver responsible for the accident has insurance, the insurance company will be heavily involved in any case that is brought for damages.  This is because under vehicle insurance policies, the insurance company will have a duty to defend their driver in litigation, and to pay for any damages that are caused by their driver up to the policy limits.

As discussed here, the other insurance company will be under no obligation to treat you fairly.  Their duty is only to their driver, and, in fact, to minimize their own liability.  As a result, in claims in which significant damages and injuries have occurred, you can expect that they will work hard to minimize their liability.

Typical Insurance Company Tactics

Typical tactics employed by insurance companies in these instances include:

• Delay. The longer that they can delay payment, the more financial pressure is usually put on the injured, especially if the person injured cannot work and needs money to pay bills.

• Denying liability. Insurance companies assume that their clients are not responsible.  Was their driver speeding or did their run a red light?  They will assert that the answers to these questions is “no”, at least until there are sufficient factual witnesses and other evidence which proves otherwise.  Because of this position, at the outset they often will offer only a small settlement, far less than the true damages sustained.

• Blaming the others – including the injured. One way in seeking to avoid liability is to blame an accident on others.  Insurance companies may assert that some other driver caused their driver to changes lanes, which caused the accident.  They may also assert that the injured driver did something wrong.  By asserting that others are liable for the accident, they seek to reduce their own liability.

• Minimizing damages – including pain and suffering. Insurance companies will want to blame injuries on pre-existing conditions whenever there is any type of basis for doing so.  Your neck and back weren’t hurt in the accident (they will claim) – they were hurt playing football many years ago.  They sometimes claim that certain medical treatment – like chiropractic treatment – isn’t necessary.  They may claim that you are over-exaggerating the extent of the pain and suffering that you must endure.

All of these tactics are wrong.  When defendants and insurance companies try these tactics, I take appropriate action to advance the cases of clients with the goal of seeking full and fair compensation expeditiously.

How We Help

As a former insurance adjuster and long-time injury attorney, I understand well the tactics that insurance companies commonly use.  I put pressure on defendants to litigate cases expeditiously, and seek to advance the cases of clients in seeking a full settlement for their injuries and damages.  When defendants will not pay a fair settlement, on behalf of my clients I will take them to court and demand full and fair compensation for every penny that is owed, and will let a jury determine fault and liability.