If an insurance adjuster tells you that he or she will be unable to make any further offers, they may be bluffing, especially if it’s still early in your personal injury case. After learning a little about the way insurance companies and personal injury claims work, you’ll see that insurance companies often have very little to gain from following through on such a bluff.
Seeing Through Insurance Company Tactics
First, the value of your personal injury claim is not time-sensitive. A $30,000 case will still be worth $30,000 a week from now, a month from now, and even a year from now. Your case value is based on your total medical expenses and on the evidence you have that the insured person is liable for your injury. Both of these factors are very unlikely to diminish over time — your medical bills may increase, if anything, and properly documented and preserved evidence is not going to just disappear.
Furthermore, if your claim does proceed to trial, the insurance company could lose more money than if they simply paid you a fair value for your claim since a lawsuit will require the insurance company to pay a team of lawyers. Not only that, but insurance adjusters are often weighed down by heavy caseloads, and if an insurance adjuster devotes too much time to your individual case (which they almost certainly will if it turns into litigation), this can reflect poorly on the adjuster when his or her superiors evaluate their performance.
RELATED: These 6 Tips Can Help You After a Car Accident
If an insurance company tries to use the “final offer” tactic on you, then you and your attorney should compare how much a lawsuit will cost you with how much a lawsuit will cost them. If it becomes very clear that the insurance company is bluffing, your attorney might want to remind them just how much a lawsuit will cost. Or, the personal injury attorney can counter-bluff and threaten to withdraw all demands and file suit.
Need Help Dealing with an Insurance Company After Being Injured in South Carolina? Contact David L. Hood
Don’t let unscrupulous insurance adjusters bully or intimidate you. If you’ve been injured and you want to seek compensation by filing a personal injury claim, you may benefit from having an experienced and knowledgeable advocate on your side. Call South Carolina personal injury lawyer David L. Hood today for a free consultation.
The content provided here is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject.
