Common Techniques Used By Claims Representatives
Any Lakeland personal injury lawyer will tell you that some insurance claims representatives will use every trick in the book to get claimants to act quickly, avoid the use of attorneys and settle for a much lower amount than they should. The following information is just a sampling of a few of the common tactics that a claims representative might use.
Watch Out For These Techniques
One technique that is used by claims representatives is to inform the claimant that he or she is actually receiving a tax benefit because his or her claim is being reduced since the general damages that are being paid are tax-free. In this instance, the representative is taking credit for the percentage of taxes that the claimant would have normally had to pay when earning money.
Another tactic that might be utilized by the claims representative is one that concerns the use of an attorney. If the representative learns that the claimant dislikes lawyers, then the representative will be able to offer a very low, unfair settlement, knowing that the claimant probably won’t turn to a Lakeland personal injury attorney for advice and will have no other choice but to accept the claims representative’s low offer.
Some claims representatives might not offer to pay for anything that’s not specifically asked for by the claimant. Nevertheless, an insurer might be acting in bad faith by not disclosing to the insured all his or her rights under the policy. In general, insurers have a duty to inform their policyholders of all coverage to which they are entitled after a claim has been brought. A policyholder should never be left wondering what benefits he or she may be entitled to after proper notice of the loss is given to the insurance company.
Another technique that some claims representatives might use is to try to force a structured settlement on the claimant in an effort to avoid a full cash payment of a claim. In a structured settlement, the claimant will be paid over time instead of in a lump sum. Structured settlements not only allow the insurance company to avoid payment of the lump sum, but they also allow it to be able to invest the savings for its own financial benefit.
Schedule A Free Consultation To Learn More
If you have been attempting to deal with an insurance company on your own and you now feel that you need to employ the services of a Lakeland personal injury lawyer, please contact the at 863-688-7766 or send us an email for a free consultation.
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