You take out insurance for a variety of very genuine and specific reasons and when a situation arises where you have to make a valid claim you don’t expect to be met by a wall of resistance and reluctance to pay you what you are due.
When it comes to filing insurance claims it pays to have in the back of your mind that insurance companies exist to try and make money so it stands to reason that they might try and employ tactics that prevent them from giving some of their profits back in a payout.
Here are some of the classic warning signs that should be telling you that you might have a fight on your hands.
Putting words in your mouth
It can often pay to get some professional help with an insurance claim if it is not entirely straightforward and there could be an argument about liability.
A classic tactic deployed by some insurance companies is to try and trip you up when you are making a statement to them that somehow gets you to admit that you are somehow partially or totally to blame for the incident.
This can happen a lot with car accidents but it applies to many other insurance claim scenarios and one wrong word from you could be seized on by the insurance company as a reason for not paying you.
Get help with your paperwork if you are not sure how to put your claim across in the correct way, or you get refused a payout when you are entitled to one.
Take the money and run
Another really common practice amongst insurers is to make you a quick offer that you might be tempted to accept.
It would be wise to remember that getting an insurance payout is a form of negotiation and if you take their opening offer it could be a lot less than you might get if you hold out.
Although the insurance company is not avoiding a payout, as such, because they have made you an offer, they could still be trying to deny you what you are entitled to with a low-ball offer.
Beware the medical authorization form
If you are making a car crash claim there is a scenario that you have to be wary of which could cost you dearly.
You should never give a medical authorization form to the other party’s insurance company as this would give them complete access to your medical records and they will take the opportunity to scour your details in order to find a reason why they shouldn’t pay you.
Asking you for a recorded statement
All you have to remember is that insurance adjusters are hardly likely to be recording your statement so that they can go through all the details and make sure you get everything you are entitled to.
Instead, they will use the recording to exploit any details you provide that could allow them to deny or reduce your claim.
Only agree to give a recorded statement if it has been agreed by a professional who is acting on your behalf with regard to the claim.
Hoping you will give up
If all else fails, some insurance companies are very adept at employing delaying tactics that are designed to frustrate you in the hope that you will take a lower offer or give up altogether.
Don’t give up the fight and be prepared for delays when you start the claim process.
These are just a few examples of ways that insurance companies will try and hold on to their cash rather than pay you what you are due. If you experience these tactics first-hand then it might be a good idea to get some professional help with your claim so that you don’t miss out on what you are owed.
