Insurance companies are for the most part for-profit organizations. Their top priority is to collect more in premiums and secondary revenue sources than they spend, not necessarily to protect policyholders and those filing a large claim.
Especially in a scenario involving personal injury, such as a car crash, the insurance company may actually employ a relatively adversarial approach to a sizable claim. Intense negotiations may follow the initial filing of an insurance claim, with the company seeking to reduce how much it pays to the person affected by the incident.
Should a claimant try to handle negotiations with the insurance company on their own?
Insurance companies are often quite aggressive
It is common practice for insurance professionals to engage in negotiation tactics that will be hard for the average person to handle. They may refuse to communicate or demand that they set the terms for every interaction so that the policyholder or claimant feels as though they have no rights.
Often, the goal is to get someone to accept terms that are unfavorable to them of their own volition so that the company can save money without running the risk of an expensive bad faith insurance claim. Individuals who are unfamiliar with bad faith insurance laws and also those who have not learned advanced negotiation tactics will likely have a hard time handling an aggressive insurance professional.
They could also fall victim to basic mistakes, such as agreeing to make a recorded statement and then answering leading questions that make it look like they are to blame for the incident.
A lawyer can help someone get the support they need
Filing an insurance claim after a significant injury can help someone pay their cost of living expenses and obtain medical treatment. In theory, someone can claim up to the policy limit in compensation from the party responsible for an injury. However, insurance professionals will try everything they can to pay less than the maximum amount established by the policy paperwork.
People who bring in lawyers to support them during an insurance negotiation scenario don’t have to stress about learning negotiation tactics or about making sense of bad faith insurance laws and the dense language in the average insurance policy. Instead, they can count on a professional to advocate for them and to educate them about their rights.
Bringing in legal support can help someone who is dealing with a significant personal injury loss secure the compensation they deserve.