Lie to You
We start with this practice because unfortunately, it is the one that happens the most. Some lies are subtler than others. For exemplify, an indemnity adjuster may tell you that there were two witnesses who told their driver you were at fault for the car accident. however, they would still be bequeath to strike a deal, sol hanker as you do not drag things out. There may actually be no witnesses––or if there are, they might have nothing useful to say on the matter.
You are within your rights to question anything the insurance company tells you. If you suspect that a affirmation might be false, ask for proof. If they refuse to furnish such evidence, you can draw your own conclusions.
Lie to You Some More
We see insurers lie thus often that we felt the indigence to mention it twice. Adjusters may lie about paperwork, facts, and even the law. They ’ ra bet that you don ’ thyroxine know much about wound jurisprudence and hope that you ’ ll take what they say at face value. Lying doesn ’ t even apply to the other party ’ s insurance company ; it could even apply to your own. For exemplify, an adjuster may say that the early driver only carried $ 15,000 in coverage, but what they mean is $ 15,000 in property wrong coverage. The goal is for you to think they mean bodily injury limits, frankincense making you think you have to take $ 15,000, even though your injuries are far more serious and worth more. As morally condemnable as lie may be, it happens every day and seems to be standard industry practice at times. Again, not merely do you have the right to question the insurance company ’ s statements, but you besides have the right to partner with an wound lawyer from our firm on your sheath.
Ask for Recorded Statements After the Car Accident
This one happens in just about every case. Whether dealing with your own indemnity company or the other driver ’ sulfur, do not give any statements unless instructed to do then by a Long Island personal wound lawyer on our team. One of the trickiest tactics is having a playful conversation about unrelated matters one day, then calling back to ask for a recorded affirmation the adjacent. Since a rapport is established, the adjuster will ask something friendly like, “ Hey, how are you feeling today ? ” You may instinctively respond, “ Great, thanks for asking. ” Although the reply had nothing to do with the injury, the recording can make it sound that direction and be used against you late. tied if you don ’ t say anything particularly damaging to your case, the insurance company might use editing software to change your tone of spokesperson or splice certain statements out of context. While this is considered a bad religion indemnity exercise, this does not stop some insurers from doing it.
Ask You to Sign a HIPAA Release
HIPAA stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Under HIPAA, your personal health records are private unless you authorize person to see them. Under union and many submit laws, an insurance company only obtains these documents when you release them, and you have a correct to limit what you give them. While you need to prove the badness of your injuries to recover damages, you do not need to sign anything the insurance company gives you. By authorizing your fully aesculapian records :
- You risk having the insurance company say that your condition wasn ’ thymine caused by the crash but by something else .
- The insurance company could argue that your crash was caused by the medications you were taking, even if you clearly didn ’ thyroxine cause the collision .
- The insurance company might say that the crash merely worsened a preexistent condition, freeing them from liability.
- The insurance company could argue that a previously diagnosed genial health condition makes your testimony treacherous .
many insurance companies put broad lyric in these forms that allow them to request all of your aesculapian records for your stallion life. If the apt insurance company requests your checkup records or otherwise asks you to sign something, ask your lawyer first. They can provide guidance as to whether signing a detail document is safe.
Stall and Delay Your Case’s Progression
When an policy adjuster suspects that they might have to pay out a claim, they might intentionally stall it. The follow could be a sign that the insurance company is delaying your case :
- Some boastfully companies nowadays hire adjusters and have them change call numbers dozens of times, creating confusion about where to send documents .
- insurance companies may switch out the representative several times within just a calendar month or two, then claim the people quit .
- even when you settle, the insurance company may stall and pretend your colony agreement was not received .
- The indemnity company might keep asking you for more information, even information that is unachievable or completely irrelevant .
An insurance company might precisely plain refuse to respond to your telephone calls and messages. By doing sol, the insurance company hopes that the legislative act of limitations will run out on your case, consequently barring you from legal action and some forms of compensation.
Keep These Things in Mind When Dealing with an Insurance Adjuster
Whether or not you decide to hire a lawyer from our firm, we advise keeping these things in mind when pursuing a call :
You Generally Have a Limited Time to Pursue Legal Action
As we noted earlier, CVP § 214 by and large allows claimants to file suit within three years of the accident. This timeline applies to lawsuits, not claims. Filing a claim does not mean filing a lawsuit. therefore, if the three-year deadline expires on your font, you could lose the right to seek damages, and the insurance company may deny your call on these grounds.
Insurance Companies Are Businesses
policy companies commercialize themselves as being your supporter or neighbor. actually, they exist to make money. even when dealing with your own insurance company, it might find a way to cut costs on paying out your damages. By keeping this information in beware, you can objectively navigate the claims process and see bad religion policy practices for what they truly are.
You Have Protections Under New York Law
Per New York Insurance Law § 2601, you have protections against disobliging policy companies. Insurers are prohibited from settling claims in badly faith, unjustly stalling the claims summons, and failing to acknowledge your claim promptly. An insurance company could face fines and early penalties if found guilty of these practices.
Our Personal Injury Lawyers on Long Island Can Serve You
The Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP is located in Lake Success correct on Long Island. With decades of experience representing personal injury victims, you can rest assured that you do not have to fight the indemnity ship’s company alone. Dial ( 516 ) 358-6900 to begin a free case review. We can discuss what things car insurance companies do to deny claims. For a absolve legal reference, call 516-358-6900