Be Wary of Disingenuous Insurance Adjuster Tactics

Experienced Orange County personal injury attorneys are aware of the unfortunate fact that many disingenuous tactics are employed by unscrupulous insurance adjusters to try to cheat personal injury claimants out of a fair settlement. All these tactics could not be covered in one article, but here are a few that experienced attorneys know to look out for.

Some insurance adjusters will take advantage of claimants who are unemployed or otherwise economically disadvantaged. Adjusters know that those in a difficult economic situation will find a smaller settlement more appealing; accordingly, they will offer much less than the claimant legally deserves.

Insurance adjusters may also attempt to leverage the claimant’s background and try to convince the claimant that jurors are unlikely to sympathetic to them. The insurance adjuster has no way of knowing whether or not this would be true, but many claimants have fallen victim to such claims and accepted low settlements.

One last disingenuous tactic is to try to convince the claimant that certain parts of his claim cannot be covered due to company policy. These statements usually violate industry standards, and the insurance company is usually still liable parts of the claim that the adjuster tries to deny.

The most common parts of the claim an unscrupulous adjuster might try to wrongfully deny the claimant include lost wages, transportation and communication expenses, and court fees for children’s attorneys. Lost wages are wages that you lose when your injury keeps you from working. Transportation expenses might include travelling to the doctor if you are rendered unable to drive. Communication expenses might include long distance phone calls that you are required to make to the insurance office. Court costs for children’s attorneys usually involve securing a minor’s compromise, which is a court approval for any claim settled on behalf of a minor. These costs should count as proximate damages, and the insurance company should be liable.

Unscrupulous insurance adjusters are yet another pitfall in making a personal injury claim in Orange County. If your or a loved one have been injured, make sure you have an experienced Orange County personal injury attorney on your side. Call Samer Habbas today for a free initial consultation.