Insurance companies are contacting injured people more quickly than ever. Sometimes, an adjuster is on the phone before an injured person has even made it home from the emergency room or left the scene of an accident.
I wish it were because the companies are genuinely concerned when someone is hurt. Sadly, that is not the case.
Adjusters want to take a statement immediately after an accident, then use it against the injured person to deny claims. Even a statement taken when someone is still shaken and hurt can lock a person into a story that they can never retract.
For example, if an injured person initially reports back pain, any neck-related treatment down the road may be denied.
Companies train adjusters to be persistent at the start. The mission: Lock injured people into a story and do not let them deviate. They may even say that you must give a statement quickly to receive payment quickly. This is not true. If adjusters have an opportunity to deny payment based on an injured person’s own statement, then they have done their job.
It’s not right, but it is legal. And people need to be aware of the tactic before they get hurt.
When you’ve been injured in an accident, a million things are running through your brain and adrenaline is pumping through your body. This physiological response can often times hide aches and pains at the scene of an accident. In fact, most soft-tissue injuries do not manifest for 72 hours after an accident.
When an insurance company contacts you, say you plan to make a bodily injury claim but that you would like to wait a few days to give a statement. This might upset the insurance company’s adjuster, but it will be to your benefit in the long run.
As always, it is also helpful to contact an attorney at Johnson & Biscone as soon as possible. When you suffer an injury, trust the professionals. We have your back.
